Georgia is putting aside some $1.5 million of its $27.5 billion state 2020 budget in order to make sure that low-income women and girls will have access to free menstrual pads and tampons.
According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the portion of the 2020 budget, which begins July 1, will go to schools and community centers in low-income areas in Georgia.
House Speaker Pro Tem Jan Jones helped negotiate the budget to include the money after earlier opposing bill that would have removed the state’s 4% tax on menstrual products.
Jones, a Republican, argued that budgeting for the $1 million that would be given to the Georgia Department of Education more directly addresses the needs of young girls who sometimes miss out on school because their families can’t afford the products, the AJC notes.
Another $500,000 will be given to state’s county health departments, which will provide menstrual products to low income women.
Both the Georgia Department of Education, as well as the Georgia Department of Public Health are working on figuring out how to properly distribute the funding.
It is worth noting, however, that the $1.5 million allocated for the feminine care products is currently only a one-time thing that is not guaranteed in future budgets. However, officials like Jones hope that it can become a recurring expense within the state budget.