Legislation
The "Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2021" in the U.S.
- Touches on many subjects regarding period poverty and menstrual product equity.
- Aims at improving both affordability and availability of feminine hygiene products since not everyone has access to them.
What is Period Tax?
- Although this is not an official term, period tax refers to the sales tax charged on feminine hygiene products even though people generally don't need to pay taxes on basic necessities, such as groceries.
- Currently, there are 9 states in the U.S. that don't charge sales tax on feminine hygiene products, and 7 states have started to create legislation in an attempt to follow the same path.
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Recently: U.S. Legislation Passed in 2022
Nebraska: This state ended its sales tax on menstrual products in April 2022.
Colorado: This state passed a bill to end sales tax on menstrual products in June 2022 and it went into effect on August 10, 2022.
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Iowa: This state passed a bill to end sales tax on menstrual products in June 2022, which will go into effect at the start of 2023.
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Virginia: This state passed a bill to remove sales tax on essentials in July 2022, and this bill will go into effect at the start of 2023.
Sources:
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Sagner, Ema. “More States Move To End 'Tampon Tax' That's Seen As Discriminating Against
Women.” NPR, 25 March 2018,
https://www.npr.org/2018/03/25/564580736/more-states-move-to-end-tampon-tax-that-s
seen-as-discriminating-against-women. Accessed 28 September 2022.
“Text - H.R.3614 - 117th Congress (2021-2022): Menstrual Equity For All Act of 2021.”
Congress.gov, https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/house-bill/3614/text.
Accessed 28 September 2022.
“Tampon Tax.” Alliance for Period Supplies, https://allianceforperiodsupplies.org/tampon-tax/.
Accessed 28 September 2022.
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