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[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
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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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