I 117TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 1467 To amend the Peace Corps Act to ensure access to menstrual products for Peace Corps volunteers, and for other purposes. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MARCH 1, 2021 Ms. MENG (for herself, Ms. SPEIER, Ms. VELA´ZQUEZ, Mr. GRIJALVA, Ms. GARCIA of Texas, Ms. KUSTER, Mr. CARSON, Mr. COOPER, Ms. SCHA- KOWSKY, Ms. LEE of California, Ms. DEAN, Mr. COHEN, Ms. TITUS, Mr. CONNOLLY, Ms. NORTON, Mr. NADLER, Mr. CASE, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. KHANNA, Ms. OCASIO-CORTEZ, Ms. CLARKE of New York, Mr. KEATING, Mr. GARAMENDI, Ms. PRESSLEY, Mr. SEAN PATRICK MALONEY of New York, Mr. GARCI´A of Illinois, and Mr. HASTINGS) introduced the fol- lowing bill; which was referred to the Committee on Foreign Affairs A BILL To amend the Peace Corps Act to ensure access to menstrual products for Peace Corps volunteers, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Menstrual Equity in 4 the Peace Corps Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:35 Apr 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1467.IH H1467 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 1467 IH SEC. 2. ACCESS TO MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS FOR PEACE 1 CORPS VOLUNTEERS. 2 Section 5A of the Peace Corps Act (22 U.S.C. 2504a) 3 is amended— 4 (1) by transferring subsection (e) (relating to 5 antimalarial drugs) to appear immediately after sub- 6 section (b) and redesignating such transferred sub- 7 section as the first subsection (c); 8 (2) in such first subsection (c), as so redesig- 9 nated and transferred, by striking ‘‘The Director’’ 10 and inserting the following: 11 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Director’’; 12 (3) in the second subsection (c) (relating to cer- 13 tain training), by— 14 (A) redesignating such second subsection 15 (c) as paragraph (2); and 16 (B) moving such paragraph (2) two ems to 17 the right; 18 (4) by redesignating subsection (d) (relating to 19 review and evaluation) as subsection (e); and 20 (5) by inserting before such redesignated sub- 21 section (e) the following new subsection: 22 ‘‘(d) ACCESS TO MENSTRUAL PRODUCTS.— 23 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 180 days 24 after the date of the enactment of this subsection, 25 the Director of the Peace Corps shall establish a 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:35 Apr 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H1467.IH H1467 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 1467 IH comprehensive policy to ensure Peace Corps volun- 1 teers who require menstrual products are able to ac- 2 cess such products, either by increasing stipends for 3 such volunteers to purchase such products or pro- 4 viding such volunteers with such products in the ge- 5 neric product types selected by such volunteer as 6 their preferences. 7 ‘‘(2) CONSIDERATION.—The policy required 8 under paragraph (1) shall take into consideration 9 the availability of menstrual products for purchase 10 locally, the price of such products, and cultural 11 norms regarding menstruation. 12 ‘‘(3) COST.—If stipends are increased pursuant 13 to the policy required under paragraph (1), the Di- 14 rector of the Peace Corps shall ensure that such in- 15 crease covers fully the cost of menstrual products 16 purchased by Peace Corps volunteers described in 17 such paragraph.’’. 18 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:35 Apr 14, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H1467.IH H1467 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS