August 12, 2024
Karolina Kaboompics/Pexels
The expansion of access to period products in Montgomery County facilities follows a nationwide push to make tampons and pads free in schools, prisons and other public buildings.
Bathrooms in parks, courthouses and historic sites across Montgomery County will soon have dispensers stocked with free tampons and pads.
On Monday, officials announced plans to install the dispensers in all county-owned facilities, which also include public health centers in Norristown, Pottstown and Willow Grove. The move aims to help residents who can't afford pads or tampons each month, a struggle commonly called "period poverty."
The products are already available in some county facilities, but the new initiative will expand and standardize access across public buildings.
"Making period products available in county buildings is no different than providing toilet paper and soap," Montgomery County Commissioner Neil Makhija said in a statement. "These are not luxury items – it’s basic public health and hygiene."
While the Pennsylvania state code requires sanitation crews to maintain "an adequate supply of toilet paper" in bathrooms, there is no such requirement for period products. Like toilet paper, pads and tampons are classified as "paper goods" under state tax code — and thus not taxed — but they are also not covered under federal welfare initiatives like the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC).
Historically, period products have been unavailable in Pennsylvania schools, though a $3 million allocation in the latest state budget will bring free tampons and pads to some through a grant program. State correctional facilities are now required to stock them, though that change is recent, too; Gov. Josh Shapiro (D) signed that legislation in December.
Several bills before the state legislature would make period products free to even more Pennsylvania residents. One would require the state to apply for a federal waiver that would make tampons and pads accessible through SNAP and WIC. Another would create a grant program for schools, similar to the budget allocation. Both passed the House but have stalled in Senate committees.
State and local governments across the United States have increasingly considered — and in some cases enacted — laws to expand access to tampons and pads. New Jersey Gov. Phil Murphy (D) signed legislation making period products free in all state middle and high schools in 2023. Vice President Kamala Harris's new running mate on the Democratic ticket, Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz, also made the items available in his state's schools. This move earned him the nickname "Tampon Tim" from Republican opponents, who spun the moniker as an insult. Many Democrats have instead embraced it.
Follow Kristin & PhillyVoice on Twitter: @kristin_hunt
| @thePhillyVoice
Like us on Facebook: PhillyVoice
Have a news tip? Let us know.
