News

ISSA’s July Period Project Update — What’s Next?

Welcome to ISSA’s July Period Project Update. This communication from ISSA will keep you up to date on the association’s efforts to end period poverty through advocacy and education. We encourage you sign up for this monthly update.

Features

Rep. Meng Introduces Whole-Of-Government Approach To Combat Period Poverty
U.S. Rep. Grace Meng (D-NY-6) reintroduced her Menstrual Equity for All Act, a whole-of-government approach to eradicate period poverty and achieve menstrual equity. ISSA presented Rep. Meng with its award for Outstanding Government Service earlier this year at our Clean Advocacy Summit.

ISSA Endorses Period PROUD Act to Expand Access to Menstrual Products
ISSA endorsed the Period PROUD (Providing Resources to Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act of 2023 that was introduced last week by U.S. Representatives Sean Casten (IL-06) and Grace Meng (NY-06). The legislation would expand accessibility to menstrual products for those with limited access. Specifically, the Period PROUD Act would provide funding through the Social Services Block Grant program to remove cost barriers to menstrual products and educate school officials on how best to communicate with students in need of these products. 

Hygieia Network Webinar: Advocating for an End to Period Poverty
Check out the recording of ISSA’s webinar discussing what period poverty is, how industry is impacted, and how you can help advance the issue. This webinar featured John Nothdurft, Director of Government Affairs at ISSA and Jennifer Gaines, Program Director at Alliance for Period Supplies. Watch a recording of the webinar here.

Legislative Updates

ISSA State Legislative Activity Tracker
ISSA is tracking legislation regarding increased access in away-from-home facilities in all 50 states. Feel free to bookmark this link as it should update as we continue to track. Let us know if we are missing any. Learn more

Australia – In Canberra, free period products will soon be available in public spaces including libraries, hospitals, schools, etc within six months. According to a news article, “The ACT will be the first Australian jurisdiction to pass legislation and other governments are being strongly urged to follow suit.”

California is still working SB 59 through the committee process. SB 59 has become a two-year bill. It will not move for the remainder of this legislative year but it is expected to be picked back up in January 2024. This bill would further expand their requirement for state-owned and leased buildings, local government buildings, and hospitals receiving state funding. Another bill, AB 230 would expand the current school requirement from 6-12 grades to 3-12 grades is working its way through the committee process.

Illinois has been moving legislation (HB 3093) to require all new and existing public buildings to provide free menstrual products in female and non-gendered bathrooms.

The Louisiana house passed LA HB 117 78-18. The bill would have required each public-school governing authority to make menstrual products available in easily accessible locations at no cost. The bill started working its way through Senate committees, but the legislative session ended before it could get to the floor.

Maine House of Representatives passed LD 348, an act to make menstrual products available in certain schools.

Minnesota became the 17th state to require menstrual care products in schools. The law requires public and charter schools to provide students access to free menstrual products in student restrooms for grades 4-12 as well as higher education institutions.

The New Jersey Assembly and Senate moved A1349 and SB1221, which would require and fund menstrual products in grade 6-12 school bathrooms. There have been many iterations of this legislation dating back to 2019. We expect the bill to be signed by the Governor.

Texas Gov. Greg Abbott signed a bill to repeal the tax on menstrual care products after it passed both the House and Senate. Texas is the 25th state to not charge sales tax on the purchase of menstrual hygiene products.

News

• Hospeco Advocates for Ending Period Poverty
• Always®, International Paper & Period Heroes Advocate for Federal Action to Help #EndPeriodPoverty
• National Association of State Boards of Education: States Address Access to Menstrual Products in Schools
• More States Call on Schools to Provide Period Products, But Many Don’t Fund Mandates
• Houston City Council approves plan to make feminine hygiene products more accessible
• Feminine hygiene dispenser in Oregon boys’ bathroom found in toilet in apparent protest
• D.C. schools will now offer free menstrual products

Featured Organization

Project Marilyn was founded in April of 2019 in an effort to give the community of Southern Nevada a healthy and dignified period. PERIOD. Marilyn was our Founder’s mother who passed away from cancer in 2011. We dedicate our mission of giving people dignity back to her.

Project Marilyn’s main mission is to make a period kit with enough supplies to last someone through their entire cycle. These kits contain only period supplies, no other hygiene items are included. The kits are then distributed to other nonprofits and agencies throughout Southern Nevada that serve people with periods.

Since Project Marilyn was founded, we have distributed over 50,000 period kits and over 1.2 million additional period products in bulk.

Please contact us with any ISSA government affairs questions and/or comments that you may have. And thank you for supporting our advocacy efforts. You can find out more about ISSA’s End Period Poverty campaign and contribute here.