Every year, Texan menstruators are taxed MILLIONS because state law categorizes tampons, pads, and other menstrual products as non-essential items. Menstrual products can be taxed up to 8.25%, implying that menstrual hygiene is unnecessary - a luxury. However, products like Viagra and other erectile dysfunction medication are not taxed. This exemption needs to be extended to menstrual hygiene products because MENSTRUAL HYGIENE IS NOT A PRIVILEGE; IT IS A RIGHT! That is why we need to pass HB 311, a bill that would make menstrual products EXEMPT from the Texas sales tax on menstrual products.

An average box of tampons costs $7.00, but with the 8.25% tax, a single box can cost up to $7.58 per box. The Texas minimum wage is $7.25, meaning that low-wage menstruators must work for over an hour every month to afford a SINGLE box of tampons, which does even not take into account the cost of supporting multiple menstruators in a single household, or the number and size of products that a menstruator may need. According to the incoming 2020 Census in Texas, about 14.9% of the population lives in poverty. The majority of menstruators use around 9,120 tampons in their lifetime, adding up to $66,120 spent on tampons alone. These costs cause significant financial strain on menstruators, resulting in an inability to afford menstrual products or pervasive period poverty, as well as a danger to the health, education, and safety of menstruators.

Not only does period poverty cause damage to a menstruator’s personal health and hygiene, it also can cause children to miss school or adults to miss days at work. Many low-income menstruators do not have paid sick leave, resulting in further financial damage and a clear discriminatory barrier to adequate education and work. Not having access to menstrual products may also lead menstruators to use materials like paper and plastic bags, old clothing, and scraps of fabric to manage their periods, potentially causing dangerous bacterial infections or the life-threatening toxic-shock syndrome. This clearly demonstrates that menstrual hygiene is ESSENTIAL, and thus menstrual hygiene products should be considered ESSENTIAL and be tax-exempt.

By passing HB 311, we aim to end the Tampon Tax in Texas and take another step towards gender equality. We are calling on legislators to support and pass this bill to END the unfair taxation of menstrual products. This tax affects nearly half the population of Texas, including trans and non-binary individuals who menstruate. We cannot allow a tax to imperil the human right to health, hygiene, and stability.

Sign this petition, share it with your friends, and join the Menstrual Movement in creating change for millions of menstruators and demanding systemic change towards gender equality. During this time of difficulty, we cannot allow the taxation of menstrual products to be a barrier to ANYONE’s health or security. Periods do not stop for a pandemic, and neither should we.

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All credit to the students and activists leading this movement and pushing for legislative action. Special credit to the #FreeThePeriodCA organization for creating the template for this petition.