2022 Period Poverty Policy Wins

National Period Supplies Wins

  • 2022 was an active year legislatively to address issues of period poverty and period equity:

  • 112 bills related to addressing period poverty were introduced

  • 31 states and Washington D. C. introduced legislation

  • 16 states and Washington D. C. signed bills into law*, meaning 50% of state legislation succeeded

    Period-related legislation exceeded expectations by 40%**

    *For some pieces of legislation this includes bills that are the same in a state but were passed and signed on both sides of the legislature.

    **Expectations are based on the fact that 90% of legislation is usually killed, with a annual pass rate of 10%.

    State Period Supplies Policy Wins

  • Alabama passed legislation to create a grant fund of $250,000 to provide Title I schools with period products for grades 5-12

  • Colorado ended the tampon tax

  • Connecticut passed legislation, fully funded by the state, to require schools with students in grades 4-12, colleges, universities, shelters, and female prison to provide period products free of charge

  • Delaware passed legislation to expand their “free period products in schools” requirement to now include grades 4 and 5, the legislation was previously for grades 6-12

  • Hawaii passed legislation, fully funded by the state, to require public schools and charter schools to provide period products free of charge to students

  • Illinois passed legislation to require period products be provided free of charge to inmates in Illinois prisons and jails

  • Iowa ended the tampon tax

  • Maryland appropriated funding for local health departments and community action agencies to provide period products until 2027

  • Missouri created a fund of $1,000,000 for schools to provide period products for students in grades 6-12 at no cost to students

  • Nebraska ended the tampon tax and passed legislation requiring that female inmates be provided period products free of charge

  • New Mexico passed legislation to exempt period products from sales tax through reimbursement

  • New York passed legislation to require that shelter provide period products free of charge

  • North Carolina established the Feminine Hygiene Products Grant Program to provide schools with grants for providing period products in public schools at no charge to students

  • Rhode Island passed the Feminine Hygiene Product Donation Act which protects individuals and corporations from liability for good faith donation of period products

  • Utah passed legislation to require local school boards and charter schools to provide period products in middle, junior, and high schools

  • Virginia ended the tampon tax

  • Washington D. C. passed a bill that required all female and gender-neutral public restrooms to stock and maintain period products

Susan Harris