Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the General Government topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Committee re‑hears bill to require free menstrual products for incarcerated women
Summary
Representative Humphrey told the House Government Oversight Committee that House Bill 29 would require county, local and state correctional facilities to provide free feminine hygiene products to incarcerated women and adopt written distribution policies.
Representative Humphrey, sponsor of House Bill 29, told the Government Oversight Committee the bill would require correctional facilities across Ohio to provide feminine hygiene products to incarcerated women at no cost and to adopt written distribution and disposal policies.
Humphrey said the measure aims to codify protections that are currently supplied by an Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (ODRC) variance issued in November 2022. “A variance is not a law,” Humphrey told the committee, arguing the statute would protect access from future administrative change.
The bill, Humphrey said, would require local, county and state correctional facilities to provide adequate supplies and would prohibit denying products; it also contains an emergency clause to address lockdowns, riots, natural disasters or similar events. The sponsor described firsthand accounts from women who lacked products and were forced to use mattress padding or other improvised materials.
Representative Marilyn John, a joint sponsor and former chair of the State and Local Government Committee, said the prior round of testimony “left the entire committee deeply moved” and that the bill was revised through bipartisan negotiation. She told members the bill previously passed the full House twice in the last session but stalled before final enactment.
Members asked about operational details and abuse risks. Humphrey said the draft includes a limited safety exception after ODRC reported an incident in which an incarcerated person swallowed a tampon in a self‑harm attempt; in such cases staff may temporarily restrict access for health and safety and reassess availability. Humphrey and other members said the Correctional Institution Inspection Committee (CIIC) inspects facilities and would monitor compliance with the policy.
The committee took no vote; sponsors presented House Bill 29 for its first hearing and answered members’ questions. No committee direction to staff or formal amendments were recorded during the hearing.
