Oregon Department of Education - Oregon Achieves Together

Supporting Oregon Students through the Menstrual Dignity Act

Oregon Department of Education sent this bulletin at 08/26/2021 01:14 PM PDT

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Supporting Oregon Students through the
Menstrual Dignity Act

Dear School and District Leaders,

We are reaching out with an update regarding House Bill 3294, also known as the Menstrual Dignity Act that recently passed in the legislature and goes into effect this school year. The Menstrual Dignity Act creates the requirement for school districts to provide free menstrual products for all menstruating students in public schools in Oregon, including elementary, middle, and high school students. This new program will help students participate actively in classes and school activities by alleviating some of the economic strain and experiences of shame that are often barriers for menstruating students accessing their education. According to a joint survey by Thinx and the Oregon-based organization PERIOD, 1 in 4 teens have missed class due to a lack of access to menstrual products.

Program Rules and Funding
The Menstrual Dignity Act provides funding from the State School Fund to school districts and ESDs to install dispensers and to provide menstrual products for every student who needs them. Funding will be distributed using a formula based on the educational institution’s average daily student membership (ADM).

During this 2021-22 school year, menstrual products must be made available in at least two restrooms per public education building where students of all genders can access, and in all restrooms by the 2022-2023 school year. The Oregon Department of Education and the State Board of Education will be developing temporary rules in September of 2021 and a toolkit for schools to implement these new requirements this school year and beyond.

Comments and Questions
We welcome your ideas, inputs, questions and concerns, as well as any insight from your school or district’s own implementation of similar programs. Please complete and submit this Google form to share your thoughts and questions with us.

Please reach out to me (Sexuality Education and School Health Specialist Sasha Grenier) with questions or for additional information. Thank you for your partnership in implementing this new and important law for Oregon’s students.

Thank you,

Sasha Grenier
Sexuality Education and School Health Specialist
Oregon Department of Education

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It is a policy of the State Board of Education and a priority of the Oregon Department of Education that there will be no discrimination or harassment on the grounds of race, color, sex, marital status, religion, national origin, age, sexual orientation, or disability in any educational programs, activities or employment. For more information, visit the Anti-Discrimination Policy page.