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Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2023
1/4/2025, 11:12 AM
Summary of Bill HR 3646
One of the key provisions of the bill is the establishment of a grant program to provide funding to schools, shelters, and other organizations to distribute free menstrual products to those in need. This is aimed at addressing the issue of period poverty, where individuals may struggle to afford basic menstrual products.
Additionally, the bill calls for the elimination of the "tampon tax," which refers to the sales tax that is often applied to menstrual products in many states. By removing this tax, the bill aims to make menstrual products more affordable and accessible to all individuals. Furthermore, the Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2023 includes provisions to ensure that menstrual products are provided in federal buildings and prisons, as well as requiring Medicaid and other federal health programs to cover the cost of these products. Overall, the bill seeks to promote menstrual equity by addressing the financial and logistical barriers that many individuals face in accessing essential menstrual products. It aims to ensure that all individuals have the ability to manage their periods with dignity and without financial hardship.
Congressional Summary of HR 3646
Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2023
This bill expands access to menstrual products through federal programs, in certain locations, and for particular groups. It also prohibits states and localities from taxing retail sales of a range of menstrual products (e.g., sanitary napkins, tampons, and menstrual cups).
The bill expands access to that range of menstrual products by
- requiring Medicaid to cover those products,
- establishing a grant program in the Temporary Assistance for Needy Families program to provide benefits to ensure access to those products, and
- increasing Social Services Block Grant funding for providing those products to low-income individuals and exempting that increase from sequestration (a process of automatic, usually across-the-board cancellations of budgetary resources to enforce specific budget policy goals).
Additionally, the bill sets out requirements to make free sanitary napkins and tampons available in federal and state correctional facilities (including Department of Homeland Security detention facilities) and restrooms in federal buildings that are open to the public.
Further, the bill (1) establishes a grant program to support the provision of free sanitary napkins and tampons on campuses of institutions of higher education, and (2) permits elementary and secondary schools to use certain grants to provide sanitary napkins and tampons to students.
In addition, the bill requires employers with at least 100 employees to provide free sanitary napkins and tampons for employees.
It also permits the Emergency Food and Shelter Program to provide sanitary napkins and tampons to homeless individuals.
