Free Menstrual Products to Students

Beginning July 1, 2025 By June 30, 2025 , certain local education providers are required to provide free menstrual products in at least half 25% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings. in bathrooms that are accessible to students enrolled in sixth through twelfth grade who menstruate, except for a small rural school district and a local education provider with only one applicable school building. Beginning July 1, 2026 By June 30, 2026 , all certain local education providers, facility schools, and the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind are required to provide free menstrual products to students in applicable school buildings in bathrooms that are accessible to students enrolled in sixth through twelfth grade who menstruate at least 50% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings . By June 30, 2027, certain local education providers are required to provide free menstrual products to students in at least 75% of applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings. By June 30, 2028, all local education providers, the Colorado school for the deaf and the blind, and approved facility schools are required to provide free menstrual products to students in all applicable student bathrooms in all applicable school buildings.

The bill expands eligibility for the menstrual hygiene products accessibility grant program (grant program) to make any local education provider rural school districts, small rural school districts, or charter schools within these districts eligible for a grant award and requires the department of education (department) to prioritize awards to certain applicants if the demand exceeds the amount appropriated for the grant program. The bill provides exceptions for applicable school buildings that do not have a gender-neutral bathroom, for applicable school buildings that provide educational services only to students who are enrolled in kindergarten through grade 6, and if the local education provider is experiencing vandalism as a result of complying with the bill.

For the 2024-25 state fiscal year, the bill requires the general assembly to appropriate $400,000 $200,000 to the department for the grant program. The bill allows the department to retain up to 5% 10% of any the appropriation on actual administrative costs for the grant program and allows grant awards to be used to acquire a dispensing machine or disposal receptacle for menstrual hygiene products.

(Note: Italicized words indicate new material added to the original summary; dashes through words indicate deletions from the original summary.)

(Note: This summary applies to the reengrossed version of this bill as introduced in the second house.)