[Congressional Record Volume 165, Number 52 (Tuesday, March 26, 2019)]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page E355]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                  MENSTRUAL EQUITY FOR ALL ACT OF 2019

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. GRACE MENG

                              of new york

                    in the house of representatives

                        Tuesday, March 26, 2019

  Ms. MENG. Madam Speaker, in recognition of Women's History Month and 
the incredible advances women have made in our nation and around the 
world, I rise today to introduce the Menstrual Equity for All Act of 
2019. This is the first comprehensive legislation that would end our 
nation's inequities toward women, girls, and individuals who 
menstruate. Menstruation hygiene items, such as pads, tampons, cups, 
and liners, are necessary purchases for the vast majority of women.
   Madam Speaker, popular culture would have one believe these products 
are ubiquitous and cheap. But I have heard the heartbreaking 
testimonies of countless girls and women from across our nation that 
would say otherwise. We live in the richest nation and yet millions of 
women and girls suffer from issues of access and affordability. This is 
an injustice and it is simply wrong.
   Most premenopausal women use menstrual hygiene products on a monthly 
basis and it is estimated that a woman will use up to 16,000 tampons in 
her lifetime. Regardless of income, women spend a significant amount of 
money on purchasing menstruation hygiene products each year.
   Beyond being cost-prohibitive, different populations of women and 
girls face unique challenges in accessing menstrual hygiene products. 
The Menstrual Equity for All Act aims to address these challenges by:
   Giving states the option to use federal grant funds to provide 
students with free menstrual hygiene products in schools--these grants 
already provide funding for health and wellness efforts;
   Ensuring that incarcerated individuals and detainees in federal 
(including immigration detention centers), state, and local facilities 
have access to free, unrationed, menstrual hygiene products;
   Ensuring that no visitor is prohibited from visiting an incarcerated 
individual due to the visitor's use of menstrual hygiene products;
   Allowing homeless assistance providers to use grant funds that cover 
shelter necessities (such as blankets and toothbrushes) to also use 
those funds to purchase menstrual hygiene products;
   Allowing individuals to use their own pre-tax dollars from their 
health flexible spending accounts to purchase menstrual hygiene 
products;
   Requiring that Medicaid covers the cost of menstrual hygiene 
products for recipients;
   Directing large employers (with 100 or more employees) to provide 
free menstrual hygiene products for their employees in the workplace; 
and
   Requiring all public federal buildings, including buildings on the 
Capitol campus, provide free menstrual hygiene products in the 
restrooms.
   Madam Speaker, every woman deserves to succeed and advancing 
menstrual equity is critical to achieving this goal. I urge my 
colleagues to support my legislation. Access to safe, affordable 
menstrual hygiene products is a basic need and a health care right for 
over half the population; it is a human right.

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