B 24-0582 — Expanding Student Access to Period Products Emergency Act of 2022

ENROLLED ORIGINAL AN ACT __________ IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA OFFICE_________________ OFTo COUNCILMEMBERrequire, BROOKEon PINTOan THEemergency JOHNbasis, A.District of Columbia local education agencies, private schools, the University of the District of Columbia, private universities and colleges, and vocational schools to install and maintain dispensers or similar receptacles of free-for-use period products in women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to develop and implement health education standards on menstrual education designed for all students regardless of gender in District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia Charter Schools beginning in grade 4.

WILSON BUILDING PENNSLYVANIA AVENUE, N.W., SUITE 106 WASHINGTON, D.C.

20004 December 23, 2021 Nyasha Smith, Secretary Council of the District of Columbia Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.

Washington, DC 20004 Dear Secretary Smith, Today, I am introducing the “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Emergency Act of 2022.” Please find enclosed a signed copy of the legislation.

Many students continue to face obstacles in accessing period products, which is a basic healthcare need for over half of our residents.

A national study found that 80 percent of young girls say they’ve missed school or know someone who missed school due to not having the necessary period products.

Furthermore, current menstrual health education standards are extremelylimitedandonlybeginingrade9,leavingstudentsunpreparedanduninformedduring the beginning of puberty.

B24-0158,the“ExpandingStudentAccesstoPeriodProductsActof2021”wasfullyfundedinthe Fiscal Year 2022 budget in anticipation of its passage.

This emergency legislation is necessary to ensure students have the period products they need so that no further learning loss occurs due to a lack of these critical products.

The “Expanding Student Access to Period Products Emergency Act of 2022” would:

• Require local education agencies and private schools to provide free period products in allwomen’sandgender-neutralbathroomsinmiddleandhighschools,andinatleastone women’s and gender-neutral bathroom in elementary schools.

If a school does not have agender-neutralbathroom,theschoolwouldberequiredtoprovidefreeperiodproducts in at least one men’s bathroom.

• Require OSSE to develop a poster with medically accurate information on the safe use and disposal of period products, which schools would be required to post near the period products dispenser.

• Require UDC and private post-secondary institutions to provide free period products in all female and gender-neutral bathrooms.

• Require OSSE to develop and implement comprehensive health education standards on menstruation designed for all students in DCPS and DCPCS schools, beginning in grade 4 and regardless of gender.

Should you have any questions about this legislation, please contact my Legislative and Community Coordinator, Ella Hanson, at ehanson@dccouncil.us.

Thank you, Brooke Pinto ______________________________ _______________________________ Councilmember Councilmember Brooke Pinto A BILL __________ IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA _________________ To require, on an emergency basis, District of Columbia local education agencies, private schools, the University of the District of Columbia, private universities and colleges, and vocational schools to install and maintain dispensers or similar receptacles of free-for-use period products in women’s and gender-neutral bathrooms, and to require the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to develop and implement health education standards on menstrual education designed for all students in District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia Charter Schools, beginning in grade 4 and regardless of gender.

(a)For “Local education agency” or “LEA” means the Districtpurposes of Columbiathis Publicact, Schoolsthe (“DCPS”)term: system, an individual public charter school, or a group of public charter schools operating under a single charter.

(b)(1) “Period“DCPS” products” means athe tampon,agency aestablished sanitaryby pad,section or102 aby liner.the Public Education Reform Amendment Act of 2007, effective June 12, 2007 (D.C.

Law 17-9;

D.C.

Official Code § 38-171).

(2) “LEA” means a local education agency, which is the District of Columbia Public Schools system or an individual or a group of public charter schools operating under a single charter.

(3) “OSSE” means the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.

(4) “Period products” means a tampon, a sanitary pad, or a liner.

(2) If a school building does not have a gender-neutral bathroom, then the period products shall also be available in at least one men’s bathroom.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL (3) LEAs and private schools shall stock every dispenser or similar receptacle with sufficient period products to serve the needs of LEA and private school students throughout the academic year and any period of summer programming offered on its campus.

(b) The University of the District of ColumbiaColumbia, (“UDC”), private universities and colleges, and vocational schools shall:

(1) Install at least one dispenser or similar receptacle for period products in every women’s and gender-neutral bathroom.bathroom;

and (2) Stock every dispenser or similar receptacle with sufficient period products to serve the needs of students at all times throughout the calendar year.

(c) Period products required to be made available pursuant to this section shall be free of cost.charge.

(d) In consultation with the District of Columbia Department of Health, theOSSE Office of the State Superintendent of Education (“OSSE”) shall develop an 8.5”8.5 xinch 11”by 11 inch sign that includes medically accurate information on the safe use and disposal of menstrual products.

(1) Placed near each dispenser or similar receptacle.container for period products;

and.

(e) Each LEA, private school, the UDC,University of the District of Columbia, private college and university, and vocational school shall install the dispensers or similar receptacles required by this actsection within one year of the effective date of this act.

(a)(a)(1) In consultation with the State Board of Education, OSSE shall develop and implement health education standards on menstrual education designed for all studentsstudents, regardless of gender, in DCPS schools and District of Columbia Charterpublic Schools,charter schools, beginning in grade 44. and regardless of gender.

(1)(2) The overarching vision of the health education standards shall be to ensure that students in the District of Columbia schools shall have the information, support, and enablingenabling-school school environment forto managingmanage menstruation with dignity, safety, and comfort.

(2)(3) The health education standards shall include information on the menstrual cycle, premenstrual syndrome and pain management, menstrual hygiene management, menstrual disorders, menstrual irregularities, menopause, and other relevant topics relating to the menstrual cycle.

(b) OSSE shall implement the health education standards required by this section within one year of the effective date of this act.

ENROLLED ORIGINAL Sec.