Last updated 7/16/24
During his budget address on February 6, 2024, Pennsylvania Governor Shapiro expressed the need for public schools across the state to provide free period products to students.
Governor Shapiro’s new budget proposal includes $3 million to increase access and alleviate period poverty.
On July 16, 2024, Pennsylvania lawmakers officially signed off on the $3 million grant program to offer free menstrual products to students, but details such as how schools can apply for the money and which districts will be eligible still need to be worked out.
Casey Smith, a spokesperson for the Pennsylvania Department of Education, said the agencies will “establish guidelines to drive out funding to schools in the coming weeks.”
This budget makes feminine hygiene products available at no cost in our schools because girls deserve to have peace of mind so they can focus on learning.
Governor Shapiro
This grant program reflects the work of Senator Maria Collett, who introduced S.B. 956, or the Pennsylvania Menstrual Equity Act, in 2019. It has already passed in the House of Representatives and is currently in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee.
The bill aims to “provide disposable menstrual products at no cost and make the disposable menstrual products available in restroom facilities in a convenient manner that does not stigmatize any individuals seeking the disposable menstrual products.”
I’m also thrilled to see Governor Shapiro become the first PA Governor to highlight period poverty in his address. Far too many Pennsylvanians, including students, struggle to afford or access the menstrual products they need, often forcing them to miss class, impacting their academic achievement, and compounding into long-term repercussions for our economic competitiveness.
Senator Collett
