Federal Legislative Update

The House is on recess. Recap of diaper and period supply legislation in the House: Going into the recess the number of cosponsors of HR 1143 (the Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act) is 49, and HR 5785, the Jobs and Justice Act (which contains much of the language in the Hygiene Assistance for Families of Infants and Toddlers Act, as well as several provisions of the Senate's Dignity Act which would provide period supplies to prisoners as well as safeguards for female inmates) has 45 cosponsors. They also included part of Rep. Grace Meng's "Menstrual Equality for All" bill as part of the Restoring Access to Medication and Modernizing Health Savings Accounts Act (H.R. 6199), a bipartisan bill that seeks to expand health spending accounts. H.R. 6199 includes a provision from H.R. 972 to include tampons, pads, and other period supplies in the list of products that can be purchased with health flexible spending accounts (FSAs). H.R. 6199 has been sent to the Senate, as ha s the FIRST STEP Act, S2795/HR5682 , which is a comprehensive prison reform bill and incorporates the Senate’s Dignity for Incarcerated Women Act, S1524, which among other things would require the Bureau of Prisons to provide period products free of charge to inmates and detainees in federal prisons and facilities.

There is another bill related to period supply access that eluded my bill tracking earlier: The " Enhancing Public Access to Feminine Hygiene Act", H.R. 6266 would amend the BABIES Act (40 USC 3314), which mandated diaper changing facilities in all public restrooms, by requiring all public restrooms to provide period supplies.

The Senate is hard at work this summer, with Majority Leader Mitch McConnell committed to holding confirmation hearings on the President's nominees for the bench. In addition to judicial hearings, the Senate committees are continuing to meet, but we have heard little about diaper or period supply related legislation in the Senate.

State Legislative Activity

It's a slow time in the state legislatures, most are in recess, but some, like California, serve year 'round. The California budget proposal to provide a total of $10 million to four food banks in the state (serving San Diego, Los Angeles, Fresno, and San Francisco) has been revised to potentially award some, none, or all of the funding allocated to San Francisco to NDBN member Help A Mother Out, who is contracted by the City and County of San Francisco to run the San Francisco Diaper Bank. A determination by the State Department of Social Services would be due by October 1st.

While the legislature is in recess is perfect time to ask your governor for a Diaper Need Awareness Week Proclamation!