MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Md. — All public buildings in Montgomery County may soon be required to provide free period products under a new bill.
On Wednesday, County Councilmember and Education and Culture Committee Chair Will Jawando introduced Bill 42-23, the Menstrual Products Access and Equity Act.
The bill, along with its accompanying health regulation, is intended to improve menstrual equity and reduce period poverty in Montgomery County. Officials say period poverty, or lack of access to over-the-counter products to manage menstrual bleeding, impacts more than 35% of the world's population, including residents in Montgomery County.
“Menstruation isn’t optional for those who menstruate in our County,” said Councilmember Jawando. “Reliable access to basic menstrual products shouldn’t be either. Anyone who uses a public restroom expects to find the basic supplies needed to be healthy: clean running water, a functioning toilet, toilet paper and soap. Menstrual supplies are critical to public health.”
Under the bill, period products must be made available at no cost in certain public accommodations with publicly accessible bathrooms. The new bill only requires menstrual products in public accommodations that are required by law to have a bathroom available to the general public and are permanent facilities, like county buildings, restaurants and conference centers.
Officials say the new legislation builds on efforts of state-level policies, including the 2021 Maryland law, HB0205, requiring all middle and high schools to install menstrual product dispensers in women’s restrooms by 2025. Maryland also exempts menstrual products from the six percent state sales tax .
“Public restrooms should provide patrons with access to free menstrual hygiene products as they would to other hygiene products such as toilet paper,” said Becky Wimmer, executive director of The Maryland Academy of Family Physicians. “Menstrual female hygiene products are a medical necessity. Access to these products is a gender equality issue with public health implications.”
A public hearing for the new bill is scheduled for December 5 at 1:30 p.m.
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