WHEREAS, Approximately one-half of the population will have a period every month for decades of their lives, as a natural part of development, 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 financial hardship; 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, This lack of period supplies, known as period poverty, can adversely affect the physical health and mental 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 and economic justice issue, and addressing period poverty can destigmatize the topic, lead to economic and educational opportunities for the state’s people and communities, and improve 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 California State Legislature passed several important measures to reduce period poverty, including providing menstrual products in schools, removing the tax on menstrual hygiene products, and prompting a pilot program to distribute menstrual products in the Counties of Los Angeles and San Diego; 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, It is the intent of the Legislature that we continue to address the hygiene product deficits facing persons whenever they are menstruating and evaluate ways the state can address their needs in order to increase their standards of living, self-esteem, and participation in society by allocating resources and updating laws to improve the quality of life for those suffering from period poverty; now, therefore, be it