UPDATE: Petition for Free Menstrual Hygiene Products in All Maryland Public Schools | How to Start a Bill

Menstrual Hygiene Petition Update

Last week a started a petition to get free menstrual hygiene products in all Maryland Public Schools after seeing it pass in New Hampshire. Here is the update on that petition and how to start your own bill…

I had no idea where it was going to go, but I am excited to say we have over 300 signatures in a week and a local legislator has agreed to sponsor it!

Why Free Menstrual Products in High Schools

Research has proven that 1 in 5 girls across America misses school because of the lack of menstrual health products while experiencing their period.

In Maryland, there are some schools with a rate higher than 75%. Many of these students reside in the lowest-income neighborhoods dealing with period poverty issues.

According to the Baltimore Sun, Robert Balfanz, a researcher at the Johns Hopkins University Center for the Social Organization of Schools, says school systems generally have ignored high rates of chronic absences — to their detriment. When educators have tried to improve academic achievement, he says, they have struggled in some cases for a simple reason: Not enough students were showing up consistently.

Providing menstrual hygiene products for schools could drastically reduce that amount of school days missed by girls.  

Now is the time to see that change happen! Signing this petition will get us one step closer to following in the footsteps of New Hampshire by passing a bill that all middle and high schools provide menstrual hygiene products in bathrooms.  

How to Pass a Bill

This process has been truly empowering to know that I can start a change in the world around me, and I hope that this inspires you to do the same!

Here are the steps to starting a bill

1. Write out your goal. For me, this topic was the foundation for young girls being able to have bigger conversations about their cycle and feeling comfortable talking about what they are going through. As a former teacher, simply having hygiene products became a door to letting girls know what pains are normal and what they need to be talking to their doctor about.
2. Do your research. A simple search on legiscan.com will help you know what is out there and what is coming down the pipeline. Who sponsored what bill, and what the result was of the bill. Start there!
3. Start a petition. After doing your research, it is time to rally the troops! There are a lot of people who probably feel the same way as you and they would be happy to be a part of the process.
4. Contact your local legislator. This individual can help you get a better understanding of what bills have passed or why others did not pass, as well as, give you guidance on who could possibly sponsor your bill.
5. Find a sponsor for your bill. Reach out to legislators that are doing the work. Let them know that you started the petition and you are will to do the groundwork.
6. See it through! Once you get a sponsor, it’s time to develop the bill and this can be a long process but it is worth it! Don’t give up. And when it gets hard, refer back to #1.