New California Law Requires Free Menstrual Products In Public Schools

SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP/CBS13) — Free menstrual products volition beryllium required successful restrooms successful nationalist schools and colleges passim California nether a measure signed Friday by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

The determination comes arsenic women’s rights advocates propulsion nationwide for affordable entree to pads, tampons and different items.

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California’s latest effort builds connected a 2017 instrumentality requiring low-income schools successful disadvantaged areas to supply students with escaped menstrual products.

It expands the instrumentality to see grades 6 to 12, assemblage colleges and the California State University and University of California systems, starting successful the 2022-23 schoolhouse year. It encourages backstage schools and colleges to travel suit.

“Our biology doesn’t ever nonstop an precocious informing erstwhile we’re astir to commencement menstruating, which often means we request to halt immoderate we’re doing and woody with a period,” Democratic Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia said of her legislation. “Just arsenic toilet insubstantial and insubstantial towels are provided successful virtually each nationalist bathrooms, truthful should menstrual products.”

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Several different states were considering oregon person required escaped menstrual products successful nationalist schools, according to advocacy radical Women’s Voices for the Earth. Purdue University in Indiana decided past twelvemonth to connection escaped feminine hygiene products successful field bathrooms.

“California joins a increasing fig of states who pb the mode successful demonstrating that menstrual equity is simply a substance of quality rights,” the advocacy radical PERIOD said successful statement. “No pupil should ever suffer learning clip owed to their periods, period.”

California besides antecedently repealed a taxation connected menstrual products that outgo women an estimated aggregate $20 cardinal a year.

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Women’s Voices for the Earth says much than fractional the states inactive taxation menstrual products arsenic a “luxury” item. Worldwide, many countries person eliminated such taxes, including Britain, Australia, Canada and India.