CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 112Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina GarciaMay 26, 2022 Relative to Period Poverty Awareness Week.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 112, as introduced, Cristina Garcia. Digest KeyBill TextWHEREAS, Approximately one-half of the population will have a period every month for decades of their lives despite whether they want to or not; andWHEREAS, Period supplies are a necessary product, each month, for millions of people across the country; andWHEREAS, National surveys and research studies report that one in four women, girls, and menstruators struggle to secure enough period supplies to meet their needs each month due to a lack of income; andWHEREAS, This lack of period supplies, known as period poverty, can adversely affect the health and well-being of menstruators; andWHEREAS, National surveys also report that one in five women, girls, and menstruators miss work or school due to a lack of sufficient period supplies; andWHEREAS, Period poverty exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty by forcing menstruators to withdraw from daily life, losing pay or missing educational opportunities; andWHEREAS, Menstruators struggling with period poverty risk infections by using proxy products, such as socks or toilet paper, or not changing products as often as needed; andWHEREAS, The people of California recognize that period poverty is a public health issue, and addressing period poverty can lead to economic opportunity for the states people and communities and improved health for women, girls, and menstruators, thus ensuring all people have access to the basic necessities required to thrive and reach their full potential; andWHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the limited access to menstrual health resources for women, girls, and menstruators, with over 8 percent of females 13 to 24 years of age reporting a lack of access to menstrual products; andWHEREAS, The California State Legislature passed several important measures to reduce period poverty, including Assembly Bill 10 in 2017 and Assembly Bill 367 in 2021, both authored by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), which make menstrual products available at all public schools serving grades 6 to 12 and all of Californias public colleges and universities; andWHEREAS, The Budget Act of 2019 funded the temporary repeal of the period product tax, ensuring that people in California no longer have to pay sales tax on menstrual hygiene products and in the Budget Act of 2021, this tax repeal was made permanent; andWHEREAS, The Budget Act of 2021 funded a $2,000,000 appropriation to support free menstrual product distributions as a pilot in the County of Los Angeles and County of San Diego; andWHEREAS, Under the leadership of Senate President pro Tempore Atkins, the Legislature began providing for the free provision of menstrual products in State Capitol Building bathrooms; andWHEREAS, While California is proud to be home to some of the most impactful laws and policies to prevent period poverty, it is recognized that further action is needed to address this long-neglected problem; andWHEREAS, Menstrual products in Californias juvenile hall, jail, and prison institutions are poor in quality and severely rationed, resulting in significant harm to youth and adults who reside there and diversion of significant resources from when they are able to help address their loved ones need of menstrual products; and,WHEREAS, While experiencing severe increases in demand for period products due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, community organizations serving people suffering from period poverty continue to move mountains to increase period product distributions and support those in need of immediate assistance. California could do more to support them and to make menstrual products more widely available in libraries, public buildings, parks, and transit hubs; now, therefore, be itResolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes May 23, 2022, to May 29, 2022, inclusive, as Period Poverty Awareness Week; and be it furtherResolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION House Resolution No. 112Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina GarciaMay 26, 2022 Relative to Period Poverty Awareness Week.LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGESTHR 112, as introduced, Cristina Garcia. Digest Key
CALIFORNIA LEGISLATURE 20212022 REGULAR SESSION
House Resolution
No. 112
Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina GarciaMay 26, 2022
Introduced by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia
May 26, 2022
Relative to Period Poverty Awareness Week.
LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
## LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL'S DIGEST
HR 112, as introduced, Cristina Garcia.
## Digest Key
## Bill Text
WHEREAS, Approximately one-half of the population will have a period every month for decades of their lives despite whether they want to or not; and
WHEREAS, Period supplies are a necessary product, each month, for millions of people across the country; and
WHEREAS, National surveys and research studies report that one in four women, girls, and menstruators struggle to secure enough period supplies to meet their needs each month due to a lack of income; and
WHEREAS, This lack of period supplies, known as period poverty, can adversely affect the health and well-being of menstruators; and
WHEREAS, National surveys also report that one in five women, girls, and menstruators miss work or school due to a lack of sufficient period supplies; and
WHEREAS, Period poverty exacerbates the vicious cycle of poverty by forcing menstruators to withdraw from daily life, losing pay or missing educational opportunities; and
WHEREAS, Menstruators struggling with period poverty risk infections by using proxy products, such as socks or toilet paper, or not changing products as often as needed; and
WHEREAS, The people of California recognize that period poverty is a public health issue, and addressing period poverty can lead to economic opportunity for the states people and communities and improved health for women, girls, and menstruators, thus ensuring all people have access to the basic necessities required to thrive and reach their full potential; and
WHEREAS, The COVID-19 pandemic further exacerbated the limited access to menstrual health resources for women, girls, and menstruators, with over 8 percent of females 13 to 24 years of age reporting a lack of access to menstrual products; and
WHEREAS, The California State Legislature passed several important measures to reduce period poverty, including Assembly Bill 10 in 2017 and Assembly Bill 367 in 2021, both authored by Assembly Member Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), which make menstrual products available at all public schools serving grades 6 to 12 and all of Californias public colleges and universities; and
WHEREAS, The Budget Act of 2019 funded the temporary repeal of the period product tax, ensuring that people in California no longer have to pay sales tax on menstrual hygiene products and in the Budget Act of 2021, this tax repeal was made permanent; and
WHEREAS, The Budget Act of 2021 funded a $2,000,000 appropriation to support free menstrual product distributions as a pilot in the County of Los Angeles and County of San Diego; and
WHEREAS, Under the leadership of Senate President pro Tempore Atkins, the Legislature began providing for the free provision of menstrual products in State Capitol Building bathrooms; and
WHEREAS, While California is proud to be home to some of the most impactful laws and policies to prevent period poverty, it is recognized that further action is needed to address this long-neglected problem; and
WHEREAS, Menstrual products in Californias juvenile hall, jail, and prison institutions are poor in quality and severely rationed, resulting in significant harm to youth and adults who reside there and diversion of significant resources from when they are able to help address their loved ones need of menstrual products; and,
WHEREAS, While experiencing severe increases in demand for period products due to the pandemic and supply chain issues, community organizations serving people suffering from period poverty continue to move mountains to increase period product distributions and support those in need of immediate assistance. California could do more to support them and to make menstrual products more widely available in libraries, public buildings, parks, and transit hubs; now, therefore, be it
Resolved by the Assembly of the State of California, That the Assembly recognizes May 23, 2022, to May 29, 2022, inclusive, as Period Poverty Awareness Week; and be it further
Resolved, That the Chief Clerk of the Assembly transmit copies of this resolution to the author for appropriate distribution.