Sponsors (33)
Introduced February 4, 2025 by Sean Casten · Last progress February 4, 2025
The bill directs dedicated federal funding to expand free menstrual products and access for low‑income people using existing program channels and supports, but it does so by reallocating SSBG obligations, increasing federal spending and administrative burdens, and limiting some provider access.
Low-income menstruating people (including women and families) will receive free menstrual products and improved access through a dedicated $200M/year SSBG stream (FY2026–FY2029), making supplies more predictable and available.
Low-income families will be more easily reached because the funds can be integrated with TANF, Medicaid, CHIP, WIC, and home‑visiting programs, leveraging existing service channels.
Eligible nonprofit providers and state governments will receive federal technical assistance and evaluation funding (up to 2% plus $2M in FY2026) to build program capacity and measure effectiveness.
State governments must obligate $200M/year from existing SSBG funds (FY2025–FY2028), which reduces states' flexibility to use SSBG for other social service priorities.
Federal taxpayers will fund an added $200M/year (FY2026–FY2029) plus administrative costs, increasing federal spending obligations.
Nonprofit providers and state administrators will face new administrative limits (9%) and reporting requirements, increasing compliance burden and program overhead.
Based on analysis of 2 sections of legislative text.
Provides a $200M/year targeted federal funding stream and requires states to obligate $200M/year (FY2025–2028) to expand free menstrual-product access via SSBG and sets SSBG at $1.9B for FY2025–2028.
Creates a targeted federal funding stream to help states provide free menstrual products to low-income people through the Social Services Block Grant (SSBG) program. It sets the SSBG total at $1.9 billion for fiscal years 2025–2028, requires states to obligate $200 million per year (adjusted for small reservations) for menstrual product needs in FY2025–2028, and directs the Treasury to transfer $200 million per year in FY2026–2029 to support those obligations. The bill also allows small federal reservations for technical assistance and a one-time evaluation and limits those reserved awards to qualified nonprofits. Funds must be used to reduce unmet need for menstrual products, coordinate with other low-income programs, and must supplement—not replace—existing funding.