Which States are Addressing Period Poverty?

Over the last eight years, 62 menstrual equity laws have passed representing real progress for the menstrual equity movement. Being educated on the laws in place in your state is a great way to get informed and start organizing for menstrual equity in your community.

We've outlined the state of Menstrual Equity in each state based on the laws enacted, as of April 2022.

Alabama

HB 308: County jails and state penitentiaries, prisoners, sheriff and Dept. of Corrections, required to provide menstrual products to inmates

Arizona

SB 1849: Requires free menstrual products when requested by female inmates

California

AB367: Requires public schools to stock menstrual products

AB 1989: Provides some ingredient disclosure of menstrual products, allows some fragrance ingredients to be kept secret

Colorado

SB21-255: Creates in the department of education the menstrual hygiene products accessibility grant in order to provide menstrual products at no charge

HB19-1224: Requires jails, correctional facilities, and human service department facilities to provide free menstrual products

(City of Denver) 19-0137: A bill for an ordinance exempting feminine hygiene products from the collection of sales and use tax in the City and County of Denver.

Connecticut

SB 502: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

D.C.

B24-0158/B24-0582: Requires District high schools, middle schools, UDC and private post-secondary schools to provide free period products in all women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms. Among other things it requires OSSE to develop and implement comprehensive health education standards on menstruation designed for all students in DCPS and DCPCS schools, beginning in grade 4 regardless of gender.

Delaware

HB20:This bill requires all public and charter schools which have students in grades 6-12 to provide free feminine hygiene products in 50% of the bathrooms used by students who can have a menstrual cycle. This bill also requires schools to publish on its website and post in its common areas the locations of the bathrooms where the hygiene products are provided. Finally, this bill provides that each school must consult with its school nurse regarding the products to be provided.

SB166: Feminine hygiene products be provided free of charge to individuals in custody

Florida

HB 7109: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

Hawaii

HR147/SR77: RESOLUTION Requesting the Department of Education to Provide Free Menstrual Products to students on All Hawaii Public School Campuses.

Illinois

HB0155: Amends the Illinois Public Aid Code. Requires the Department of Human Services to adopt rules that permit recipients of benefits provided under the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program, the Women, Infant, and Children (WIC) program, and the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to use their benefits to purchase menstrual hygiene products. Requires the Department to apply for any waiver or State Plan amendment, if required, to implement the provisions of the amendatory Act. Provides that implementation shall be contingent on federal approval.

HB0156: Amends the School Code. Provides that a school district shall make menstrual (rather than feminine) hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in each bathroom of every school building (rather than in bathrooms of school buildings). Effective immediately.

HB0310: Creates the Feminine Hygiene Products for the Homeless Act. Provides that feminine hygiene products, including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons, and panty liners, shall be available free of charge at all homeless shelters that provide temporary housing assistance to women or youth. Provides that a homeless shelter’s obligation to satisfy this requirement is subject to the availability of funds in the homeless shelter’s general budget.

HB0641: Amends various Acts relating to the governance of public universities and community colleges in Illinois. Requires the governing board of each public university and community college district to make feminine hygiene products available, at no cost to students, in the bathrooms of facilities or portions of facilities that (i) are owned or leased by the board or over which the board has care, custody, and control and (ii) are used for student instruction or administrative purposes. Effective immediately.

HR0236: Declares May 28, 2021 as Menstrual Hygiene Day in the State of Illinois.

SB 2746: Exempts menstrual products from sales tax

Kansas

SB 133: Requires the Department of Corrections to promulgate administrative regulations for the jails that require adequate adequate feminine hygiene products

Louisiana

HB 7: Exempts menstrual products from sales tax

Maryland

HB797/SB598: Requires correctional facilities to provide menstrual products free of charge

SB81: Gets rid of sales tax for menstrual products

Maine

LD452: This bill requires school administrative units to require all schools that serve students in grades 6 to 12 to make available menstrual products to students at no cost in all school bathrooms.

LD1335: This bill amends the definition of “grocery staples” to include toilet paper, diapers or menstrual products, effective August 1, 2022. The bill requires the Department of Administrative and Financial Services, Maine Revenue Services to study any sales tax revenue lost by classifying toilet paper, menstrual products and diapers as grocery staples, which are exempt from sales tax. Maine Revenue Services is required to study available options to offset any lost sales tax revenue, including taxation of imported luxury foods. Maine Revenue Services is directed to submit a report to the Joint Standing Committee on Taxation by December 1, 2021, and the committee is authorized to submit a bill based on the report to the Second Regular Session of the 130th Legislature.

LD628: Access To Menstrual Products In All Maine’s Jails, County Correctional Facilities And State Correctional And Detention Facilities

Michigan

HB5267/SB 0153: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

Mississippi

HB 196: Provide proper menstrual products for woman incarcertated, in order to improve public health and welfare.

North Carolina

H608: Provides menstrual products at no cost to people who are incacerated

New Hampshire

SB142: Requiring menstrual hygeine products in school restrooms

Nevada

State Question #2 Ballot Initiative: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

New York

K00341: MEMORIALIZING Governor to proclaim May 28, 2021, as Menstrual Hygiene Day in the State of New York, in conjunction with the observance of the Annual International Menstrual Hygiene Day.

A484: Directs the commussioner of health to develop informational materials concerning menstrual disorders for distribution in schools and to patients

S2387/A.164: Requires label affixed thereto or a package insert, upon which theer sall be plainly and conspicuously printed a list of all ingredients

S.7838: Eliminates the tampon tax

S.6572: Relates to providing feminine hygiene products at no cost to menstruating individuals receiving temporary housing assistance

amended Section 267, Public Health (PBH) CHAPTER 45, ARTICLE 2, TITLE 6: Feminine hygiene products in schools. All elementary and
secondary public schools in the state serving students in any grade from
grade six through grade twelve shall provide feminine hygiene products
in the restrooms of such school building or buildings. Such products
shall be provided at no charge to students.

S.7697: Provides menstrual products at no cost to menstruating individuals in temporary shelters, including, but not limited to, sanitary napkins, tampons and panty liners.

S8821A: Relates to providing feminine hygiene products at no cost to individuals in correctional facilities

Ohio

SB 26: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

Oregon

HB 3294: Requires every public education provider to provide both tampons and sanitary pads at no cost to students. Phases in requirement. Provides funding for costs incurred by public education provider.

Rhode Island

HB 5083: Provides that feminine hygiene products be provided in all public schools and prisons.

2019-2020 Budget Bill: Eliminates sales tax on menstrual products

Tennessee

SB 1046: Authorizes LEAs to provide free feminine hygiene products in eligible public high schools

HB 129: Requires inimates to have access to menstrual products free of charge

Texas

HB2169: Adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the quantity and quality of feminine hygiene products, including tampons in regular and large sizes with a plastic applicator and menstrual pads with wings in regular and large sizes, provided to a female prisoner

HB1545: Adopt reasonable rules and procedures establishing minimum standards for the quantity and quality of feminine hygiene products, including tampons in regular and large sizes and menstrual pads with wings in regular and large sizes, provided to a female prisoner.

HB 650: Provide menstrual products free of charge to “indigent” inmates

Virgin Islands

HB405/SB 232: Requires each school board to make tampons or pads available

HB1884: Directs the Director of the Department of Corrections to review the Department’s visitation policies concerning visitors’ wearing of tampons or menstrual cups at state correctional facilities and shall revise such policies as necessary to permit such visitors to wear tampons or menstrual cups.

Vermont

H 436: Exempts menstrual products from sales tax

Washington

HB1273: By the beginning of the 2022-23 school year, school districts and private schools must make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost in all gender-neutral bathrooms and bathrooms designated for female students located in schools that serve students in any of grades six through twelve.

SB5147: Removes the tampon tax

Federal

H.R.748 – CARES Act: Allows menstrual products to be paid with pre-tax dollars using a Health Savings Account or Flexibile Spending Account

S. 756: Requires free menstrual products in federal prisions