The Menstrual Equity for All Act of 2021, or Assembly Bill 367, which requires public schools in California to have restrooms provide free menstrual products, passed on Oct. 8, 2021.
The California State University system, along with other public school systems in the state will be required to have an adequate supply of menstrual products which will be enacted during the 2022-2023 school year, according to the bill.
Caroline Chen, accounting and finance associate professor at San José State with a speciality in taxes, said the state of California does not have the tampon tax anymore.
Chen said the tampon tax is a kind of excise tax. An excise tax is in addition to the sales tax on things the government prefers you to not buy.
The state of California has not taxed period supplies and diapers since 2019, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.
Currently, 21 states still charge sales tax on period products. They are often taxed as luxury products comparable to decor, electronics and makeup, rather than basic necessities, according to the Alliance for Period Supplies.
The pink tax is a general term for womens’ products, including pads and tampons, oftentimes costing more than products targeted to men.
California businesses are prohibited from charging a different price for any two goods that are substantially similar, to reduce gender-based pricing discrimination, according to the bill.
Chen said she used to teach a specific class helping low-income individuals at Santa Clara University, so she knows how difficult it is for unhoused people to get feminine hygiene products.
Multiple organizations, including SJSU Cares, the PRIDE Center, Gender Equity Center, Associated Students and the Student Wellness Center, distribute menstrual products throughout campus.
The program offers menstrual hygiene products through the Spartan Food Pantry, according to a website from SJSU Cares.
Eligible students can access the pantry once per week, and can take up to 10 pads and tampons per visit, according to the same website.
Kristen Weaver, interim senior case manager for Student Affairs at SJSU Cares, said using the Spartan Food Pantry for menstrual products is similar to accessing any other product.
“Students can fill out our intake form on our website once per semester to determine whether they are eligible to participate at the Spartan Food Pantry, which is an assistance program for students experiencing food insecurity,” Weaver said.
Once students have completed their intake form and received confirmation that they are eligible, they can visit the Spartan Food Pantry, funding for the pantry comes from their operating budget, according to Weaver.
“We source menstrual hygiene products and other toiletry items such as toothbrushes, soap, etc by purchasing from our operating budget,” Weaver said.
Weaver said SJSU Cares’ services are promoted on its website, Instagram and Facebook. “We also have recently placed QR code stickers that link directly to our Request for Assistance page all around campus recently, so students can quickly and easily access our services and information,” Weaver said.
Bonnie Sugiyama, director of both the PRIDE and Gender Equity Centers, said they offer menstrual products in multiple locations on campus.
“The Gender Equity Center started having products just in the space with the Pride Center,” Sugiyama said. “At the time, we were sharing space, but we moved to the Student Union and we both have places for folks to grab them.”
Sugiyama said the center has been giving them out on campus since 2015.
Sugiyama said they were already in compliance with the Menstrual Equity for All Act, but added things like notifications in specific spots on campus so people knew about the free products.
“You’ll see two different versions (of the notification), one has yellow and blue sparkly flowers, and the other is cherry blossoms,” Sugiyama said. “You’ll probably see them all the time you go in the bathroom, now.”
Sugiyama said during the 2021-2022 school year, Associated Students started paying for the products in the Student Union in gender neutral and womens’ bathrooms.
She said some of the products the PRIDE Center and Gender Equity Center give out are ones they have already paid for, and others they have gotten for free through promotions.
“At one point, Playtex was doing some sort of promotional thing, and they gave us a ton of tampons to give out on campus,” Sugiyama said. “I was like, ‘People are getting free period products, so that’s a win for the students.’ We’re actually still giving those away because they gave us quite a bit.”
Sugiyama said it’s not just low income students who need these products but to ensure that students were not missing class because of their period.
“You pay all this money, and we don’t want you to miss out on your educational opportunities because you’re missing a tampon or a pad,” Sugiyama said. “Who knows how far home is, so we’re making sure people are able to go to school, which is what they want to do.”
