What states have free period products?

Q: Are tampons free in the US?

In the United States, almost all states tax tangible individual property but exempt non-luxury necessities: groceries, prescriptions, prosthetics, agriculture supplies, and sometimes clothes—the exemptions vary between states. Most states charge sales tax for womens pads and tampons.

An article by Medical News Today defines period poverty as a lack of access to menstrual products, education, hygiene facilities, waste management or a combination of these barriers. A national study by Thinx & PERIOD found that approximately 20% of teenagers who menstruate in the United States were either unable to afford menstrual products or struggled to afford them. Similarly, a research article by BMC Women’s Health found that 14% of college women experienced period poverty within the past year while 10% faced it every month.

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Experiencing period poverty can have negative academic and emotional impacts on students. States have sought to address these negative health impacts by enacting legislation requiring local school districts to provide free menstrual products in schools.

The Thinx & PERIOD study also highlights that 25% of teens have missed class time because of a lack of menstrual products while nearly two-thirds of teenagers who menstruate have felt anxious about a lack of access to menstrual products. However, the impact of period poverty is not felt evenly across race/ethnicity or socioeconomic status.

The BMC Women’s Health study found that Latina and Black women were disproportionately impacted by period poverty with 24.5% of Latina women and 19% of Black women reporting experiencing period poverty sometime in the past year compared to 11.7% of white women. This study also noted that Latina women and women who self-identified as Asian or Pacific Islander; American Indian, Native Alaskan, Native Hawaiian; biracial or multiracial were also more likely than white or Black women to experience period poverty every month. Likewise, first generation college students and students who were born outside of the United States were also more likely to experience period poverty.

States have addressed period poverty by passing legislation requiring schools to provide free menstrual products. Since 2017, Education Commission of the States has identified at least 20 enacted bills addressing period poverty. Most of these bills have been enacted since 2021 although at least seven bills were enacted between 2017-20. In 2017, California, Illinois and Maryland enacted bills that require local education agencies (LEAs) to provide free menstrual products to some students.

Maryland required free menstrual products be available to students experiencing homelessness while California required schools with a poverty level over 40% to provide free menstrual products. Illinois’s policy was a universal free menstrual product approach which has become the legislative trend in recent years. From 2018-20, at least three states enacted similar bills requiring LEAs to provide free menstrual products in schools; New York in 2018, New Hampshire in 2019 and Virginia in 2020.

Since 2021, California, Delaware, the District of Columbia, Illinois, Maryland, Nevada, Oregon, Rhode Island and Washington have enacted legislation mandating all LEAs to provide free menstrual products in female restrooms. Most of these bills require free menstrual products for students in grades 6-12. However, some states differ based on students’ grade level or the universal nature of the free menstrual product mandate. Alabama requires schools that participate in a grant program to provide free menstrual products to female students in grades 5-12. Arkansas enacted a law that allows LEAs to use federal stimulus funds to provide free menstrual products to students. The District of Columbia bill also requires bathrooms at postsecondary institutions to include free menstrual products. Hawaii passed a resolution requesting the department of education to provide free menstrual products to students. Illinois mandates free menstrual products for students in grades 4-12.

Since 2021, at least eight additional states, Connecticut, Florida, Massachusetts, Minnesota, Missouri, New Jersey, Pennsylvania and Vermont have introduced legislation related to free menstrual products in schools. These enacted and proposed legislative examples follow trends of states placing a greater emphasis on equity in student health.

Carlos Jamieson

Policy Researcher at Education Commission of the States |

As a policy researcher, Carlos focuses on many issues related to K-12 education. Prior to joining Education Commission of the States, Carlos was an elementary school physical education and health teacher. Carlos earned a master’s degree in physical education from Teacher’s College and is currently pursuing his Ed.D from Howard University in education leadership and policy.

Bryan Kelley

Policy Analyst at Education Commission of the States |

As a policy analyst, Bryan's work includes tracking legislation, authoring reports, answering State Information Requests and contributing to various Policy Team projects. He is particularly interested in education policy regarding access, equity and civil rights. Prior to joining Education Commission of the States, he worked in public policy research at the National Conference of State Legislatures in Denver and AcademyHealth in Washington, D.C.; he also earned a master's degree from the University of Manchester and a bachelor's degree from Colorado College.

What states have free menstrual products?

In which country pads are free?

Scotland is the first country to offer period products free of charge on a national scale. Others, including New Zealand and Kenya, distribute products for free in public schools.

Are period products free in California?

Under legislation passed on October 8, California public schools and universities are mandated to provide free menstrual products in their restrooms. The Menstrual Equity for All Act (AB367) urges that private schools and colleges will follow suit. The bill was signed into law by Gov. Gavin Newsom.

Are tampons free in the US?

In the United States, almost all states tax "tangible individual property" but exempt non-luxury "necessities": groceries, prescriptions, prosthetics, agriculture supplies, and sometimes clothes—the exemptions vary between states. Most states charge sales tax for women's pads and tampons.