Your voice counts
Policy + Legislation
A core mission of the Alliance for Period Supplies is to raise awareness of the lack of access to period supplies facing individuals in need. In fact, 2 in 5 women struggled to purchase period supplies within the past year due to lack of income.
We also are empowering people to advocate for changes in law and policy to address period poverty and the tampon tax at the local, state, and national level. Individuals and not-for-profit organizations (like Alliance for Period Supplies Allied Programs) can lobby their elected officials to ask for laws that help ensure all individuals have the essential period supplies necessary to fully participate in daily life.
The Alliance for Period Supplies provides tools for community advocacy. You can raise awareness about period poverty in your town, work to affect change on a state level, and improve conditions for many individuals who struggle to purchase period products due to lack of income.
Period Legislation
Every year bills are introduced to help end period poverty and achieve menstrual equity. Many bills are introduced but few end up becoming law. Learn about the bills proposed in your state and use the tools on this page to reach out to your state legislators.
Tampon Tax
Many U.S. states tax period products like luxury goods. Find out if your state is one of them and learn about the legislatures that worked hard to end the tampon tax in their state.
Period Products in Schools
States around the nation have passed legislation to help provide students with period products. Without period products students miss school and can’t focus on their education.
Student Advocacy Toolkit
Period products are school supplies. In order for students to be at school and present, these basic necessities are required, yet many schools don’t provide these products. Through advocacy and legislation, the Alliance for Period Supplies is working to ensure that states mandate and fully fund providing products in schools.
Download our Student Advocacy Toolkit to learn more about advocating to get period products in your school.
Period supplies bill before congress
Menstrual Equity for All Act (H.R. 3646): Reintroduced in the U.S. House of Representatives by Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-6) during Period Poverty Awareness Week 2023, the Menstrual Equity for All Act (ME4All) is a comprehensive bill that would expand access to free period products in schools, prisons, shelters and public federal buildings. It would require Medicaid to cover the cost of period supplies, eliminate the tax on period supplies and create a pilot program through Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF) to help families purchase period supplies.
The Period PROUD (Providing Resources for Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act (H.R. 4475): Reintroduced by Congressman Sean Casten (IL-6) and Congresswoman Grace Meng (NY-6) on July 6, 2023. The bill would provide funding through the Social Services Block Grant program to establish and expand programs to provide low-income menstruating individuals with access to period supplies and direct the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services and U.S. Department of Education to develop best practices for school officials to use in discussing menstruation with students.
STAMP (Stop Taxes Against Menstrual Products) Act (H.R. 7905): Reintroduced by Congressman Al Green (TX-9) on April 9, 2024. The bill would make it unlawful for states to collect sales tax on period products. States would no longer be able to tax pads, tampons, menstrual cups, menstrual discs, period underwear, and all items that conform to industry standards.
Advocacy vs. Lobbying
Advocacy is education – telling lawmakers about period poverty need, about what you do as a program in your community, and sharing the stories of the people served by your program – these are all examples of advocacy. There is no limit to advocacy.
Lobbying refers to expressing an opinion in communication with lawmakers about specific legislation. For example, asking a member of Congress to vote for or against a particular bill, and asking a member of your state legislature to introduce a bill to exempt period supplies from sales tax are instances of lobbying.
501(c)(3) organizations can lobby as long as lobbying is not a “substantial portion of their activity.” Because “substantial” is not defined, the IRS has created an option for organizations to measure their lobbying activity according to set monetary limits, which are easy to track. In order to take advantage of this, an organization must file what is known as a 501(h) election. It is recommended that all period banks file a 501(h) election.
To learn more about 501(h) elections, see what the National Council of Nonprofits says here.
Founding Sponsor
470 James St #7
New Haven, CT 06513
203.821.7348
info@allianceforperiodsupplies.org
EIN # 45 - 2823935