Volume 25 | August 3, 2018
Policy Newsletter
Federal Legislative Update

The House is on recess until after Labor Day. Before they left, however, they 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). Read more about H.R 6199 here . Meng's original bill included provisions for the Department of Justice to certify that all female prisoners have access to menstrual products ( the Bureau of Prisons has committed to providing these supplies), for menstrual supplies to be included in lists of emergency supplies by federal agencies ( FEMA has committed to allowing homeless assistance grant recipients to use those funds to purchase supplies), and a tax credit for certain individuals for the reimbursement of menstrual supplies.

The bill now goes to the Senate.While the Senate is technically still in session, they are scheduled to have only pro forma sessions until August 15.
State Legislative Activity

It's a slow time in the state legislatures. So now is a perfect time to ask your governor for a Diaper Need Awareness Week Proclamation!


Diaper Need Awareness Week (Sept 24-30, 2018)
Will be here before you know it! Get your summer off on the right foot and send request a proclamation today. Find your state on this handy dandy proclamation guideline , and use the state template or the city template to ask your elected officials to recognize Diaper Need Awareness Week 2018!
Maybe you've already received a proclamation--if so, email a copy to us!
Support for Advocates

National Voter Registration Day
Once again, NDBN is a the National Voter Registration Day partner. National Voter Registration Day is September 25, 2018. Registering people to vote is both nonpartisan and a celebration of what makes a democracy a democracy--VOTING!! If you have questions about how you, as a 501(c)(3) can register people to vote without being partisan, check out this article from the Alliance For Justice's Bolder Advocacy project.

Understanding the Minimum Wage
The  Self-Sufficiency Research Clearinghouse (SSRC)  will sponsor a webinar called,  Understanding the Minimum Wage: Implications for Workers, Employers, and Communities,  on Thursday, August 9, 2018, 2:00-3:30 pm EDT. This webinar will focus on how changes in the minimum wage affect individuals, families, employers and the economy. Today, the U.S. economy continues to grow and the unemployment rate remains low. Wage growth, however, remains slow for much of the labor force. The federal minimum wage has remained at $7.25 an hour since 2009. The combination of job growth and wage stagnation has led many localities to increase their minimum wage. In this webinar, a moderated discussion with economists and research experts will take place who will shed light on what we know about minimum wage increases and their effects on workers, low-income families, employers, and state/local economies. Registrants are invited to  submit their questions .  Register Now!

Addressing Child Poverty through Income Supports
The Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) held a webinar on proposals to address child poverty through income supports. You can  access a recording, as well as the slides and handouts, at:  http://www.childpovertyusa.org/events/ .

Invite your Member of Congress to Visit!
Summertime schedules for Congressional members include a lot more time out of Washington and in District. Now is a great time to invite your Member of Congress to visit your diaper bank. It's a win-win for both of you. You get to show your elected representatives the important work you are doing for the community they represent and teach them about diaper need, and they get to show that they are interested in learning more about the community they serve. Want some help sending an invitation? We have a template here. Have more questions? Contact Alison.

Hold a Lobby Day in Your State Capitol
We'd be happy to help. Give us a call or shoot Alison or Lynn an email.
National Diaper Bank Network | 155 East St. Suite 101 |New Haven, CT 0 | 203-821-7348| Website