Bills, Bills, Bills: Assemblymember Rosenthal’s Recently Proposed Period Policy
NEW YORK State Assemblymember Linda Rosenthal is Proposing a bill to give away FREE menstrual products to people facing housing insecurity and homelessness in New York State.
Assemblyperson Linda Rosenthal has entered a bill into the New York State Congress that aims to increase access to menstrual products for women in temporary housing and homeless shelters. The bill aims to address the real problem of inadequate access to necessary period products for people facing housing insecurity throughout the state. Menstrual products are not typically covered by government assistance programs or public services. Linda Rosenthal is fighting hard to change that.
Existing Policy
A version of Bill A.585A has been in place in New York City (Local Law 83) since 2016. The city has been providing free menstrual products to menstruators in temporary housing and leading the nation with its push for greater access to the essential medical supplies. Rosenthal’s proposed bill is looking to make this state policy and open up these benefits to millions more women.
It’s Expensive to be Poor!
Many of the women that face housing insecurity can’t afford to buy, or carry the money required to buy period products in bulk which is often less expensive than the premium prices for smaller packs of tampons or pads. WIC, SNAP and Medicaid do not cover these essential goods and menstruators are often left on their own to manage their periods with what they can find. Many homeless people or those dealing with periods in temporary housing are forced to use used paper bags, newspapers or wads of toilet paper instead of having access to essential and safe period products. These methods of handling a period can lead to serious health problems like toxic shock syndrome and other infections, causing further stress to the homeless population and the medical system.
The state government’s refusal to address the needs of low-income women and menstruators impacts not only their success but the success of their entire community. Providing menstrual product solutions will help ease the mental and physical trauma of homelessness and housing insecurity. Not to mention, it will greatly impact the lives of the thousands of teens and young people in homeless shelters who must also attend school while on their period.
Women shouldn’t have to worry about how they will handle their periods and they shouldn’t have to choose between food and menstrual products. Assemblyperson Rosenthal knows this and is fighting to make a change.
Why You Should Care
Assemblyperson Rosenthal is creating greater awareness about our menstrual needs in important sites of government power. She’s continuing the conversation about women’s health and the way that class affects personal dignity and access to essential goods. Rosenthal recognizes that menstruation ties to issues of class and access. Seventeen percent of women worldwide miss school or work because of their period. The global issue of period poverty is tied women’s equality and equalizing outcomes between women and men.
This bill sheds special light on an issue that affects predominantly women and for this reason has been historically overlooked. Rosenthal is taking a stand to defend feminist issues as they intersect with class issues. There is a lot of work left to do to destigmatize our bodies and menstruation. Bills like this show the public and our legislature that it’s okay to talk about blood. It’s not okay for women to have to choose between dealing with her period safely and food or shelter. We at PERIOD are rooting for Rosenthal and A.585A.
