Pads, Tampons Free At Schools, Shelters Under New Illinois Law

EDWARDSVILLE, IL — Tampons and pads will now be free and available in all bathrooms on college campuses and homeless shelters under legislation signed by J.B. Pritzker Thursday.

The bill was part of a larger package aimed at fighting "period poverty," Pritzker said. The three bills stipulate feminine hygiene products be free at public universities and colleges, state-run homeless shelters and that the Illinois Department of Human Services moves towards covering those products for women utilizing SNAP and WIC benefits.

Currently, those using the state's Department of Human Services Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) and the special program for Women, Infants and Children (WIC) cannot use either program to buy diapers or pads.

"The pandemic has laid bare many of the quiet sacrifices women are forced to make in the face of financial instability," Pritzker said at a press conference at Southern Illinois University at Edwardsville. "Given the high price of menstrual products, it's no wonder many women below the poverty line have had to sacrifice their personal health and hygiene in order to afford food."

Pritzker cited stories told to him by community organizers of women using socks and toilet paper during their menstrual cycles, which increase risk of infections such as toxic shock syndrome.

Last month, Mississippi asked the Supreme Court to overturn Roe V. Wade, a decision Pritzker called an attack on women.

"I've made it a top priority to ensure that our state is at the forefront of protecting women's rights and women's health," he said."All the more important as attacks against reproductive rights surge across the nation."