D.C. Act 24-302. Expanding Student Access to Period Products Emergency Act of 2022.
AN ACT
To require, on an emergency basis, District of Columbia local education agencies, private schools, the University of the District of Columbia, private universities and colleges, and vocational schools to install and maintain dispensers or similar receptacles of free-for-use period products in women's and gender-neutral bathrooms, and the Office of the State Superintendent of Education to develop and implement health education standards on menstrual education designed for all students regardless of gender in District of Columbia Public Schools and District of Columbia Charter Schools beginning in grade 4.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this act may be cited as the "Expanding Student Access to Period Products Emergency Act of 2022".
Sec. 2. Definitions.
For the purposes of
(1) "DCPS" means the agency established by
(2) "LEA" means a local education agency, which is the District of Columbia Public Schools system or an individual or a group of public charter schools operating under a single charter.
(3) "OSSE" means the Office of the State Superintendent of Education.
(4) "Period products" means a tampon, a sanitary pad, or a liner.
Sec. 3. Provision of period products.
(a)(1) Local education agencies and private schools shall install at least one dispenser or similar receptacle of period products in:
(A) Each women's and gender-neutral bathroom in every middle school and high school; and
(B) One women's and gender-neutral bathroom in every elementary school.
(2) If a school building does not have a gender-neutral bathroom, then the period products shall also be available in at least one men's bathroom.
(3) LEAs and private schools shall stock every dispenser or similar receptacle with sufficient period products to serve the needs of LEA and private school students throughout the academic year and any period of summer programming offered on its campus.
(b) The University of the District of Columbia, private universities and colleges, and vocational schools shall:
(1) Install at least one dispenser or similar receptacle for period products in every women's and gender-neutral bathroom; and
(2) Stock every dispenser or similar receptacle with sufficient period products to serve the needs of students at all times throughout the calendar year.
(c) Period products required to be made available pursuant to this section shall be free of charge.
(d) In consultation with the District of Columbia Department of Health, OSSE shall develop an 8.5 inch by 11 inch sign that includes medically accurate information on the safe use and disposal of menstrual products. The sign shall be:
(1) Placed near each dispenser or similar container for period products; and.
(2) Made available for downloading in PDF format on the OSSE website.
(e) Each LEA, private school, the University of the District of Columbia, private college and university, and vocational school shall install the dispensers or similar receptacles required by this section within one year of the effective date of this act.
Sec. 4. Education on menstruation.
(a)(1) In consultation with the State Board of Education, OSSE shall develop and implement health education standards on menstrual education designed for all students, regardless of gender, in DCPS schools and District of Columbia public charter schools, beginning in grade 4.
(2) The overarching vision of the health education standards shall be to ensure that students in the District of Columbia schools shall have the information, support, and enabling-school environment to manage menstruation with dignity, safety, and comfort.
(3) The health education standards shall include information on the menstrual cycle, premenstrual syndrome and pain management, menstrual hygiene management, menstrual disorders, menstrual irregularities, menopause, and other relevant topics relating to the menstrual cycle.
(b) OSSE shall implement the health education standards required by this section within one year of the effective date of this act.
Sec. 5. Fiscal impact statement.
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the Budget Director as the fiscal impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, approved October 16, 2006 (12 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a).
Sec. 6. Effective date.
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto), and shall remain in effect for no longer than 90 days, as provided for emergency acts of the Council of the District of Columbia in section 412(a) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 24, 1973 (87 Stat. 788, D.C. Official Code§ 1-204. I 2(a)).
