A joint meeting of the Montgomery County Council’s Health & Human Services (HHS) and Government Operations and Fiscal Policy committees on Nov. 3 reviewed Bill 42-23, a 2023 proposal to require menstrual products in public restrooms, and considered amendments that would limit the requirement to county-owned facilities.

Council Vice President Jawando, the bill’s sponsor, said the original measure would have required a broader set of public-facing locations, including some private businesses, and “would have cost the government over $2,000,000 in the first year.” He said the amendment before the committees reduces that cost by about 90% while retaining a narrower requirement for libraries, recreation centers, regional service centers and DHHS locations that provide direct services to the public.

Miss Wellens, the council attorney, summarized the proposed amendment and its mechanics: the amendment would delete the private-sector requirements, require the Department of General Services (DGS) to place products in county restrooms defined as public-facing and maintained by DGS, allow the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) to exempt specific sites for privacy or security reasons, and exclude restrooms intended primarily for county employees. The amendment also carries a six-month effective date after enactment.

From a public-health perspective, Dr. Nina Ashford, chief of public health services in HHS, said the measure addresses “an issue of gender equity, for menstruating individuals,” and noted staff used the county’s social vulnerability index to identify neighborhoods with greater need (Gaithersburg, Montgomery Village, Silver Spring and parts of East County). Dr. Ashford also cited contributions from the nonprofit I Support the Girls, which staff said has donated more than 1.6 million menstrual products to Montgomery County between 2015 and 2023.

Operational and fiscal details were provided by Gregory Boykin, deputy director and chief operating officer for DGS. Boykin said staff priced a medium-to-high quality dispenser and estimated a one-time hardware cost of about $289.95 per dispenser; 150 dispensers at that unit price total roughly $43,493. He estimated ongoing annual refill costs at approximately $214,003, based on refilling dispensers about every two weeks (26 times a year). "We're prepared to do this through our custodial contracts," Boykin said, adding that disposal needs are covered under existing restroom maintenance.

OMB staff cautioned the committees that the ongoing $214,000 is not included in the current base budget and would require either a supplemental appropriation in the current fiscal year or an enhancement in the FY27 budget. Miss Peterson (OMB) said she would coordinate with the County Executive’s office on whether the executive plans to fund or prioritize implementation.

Committee members raised procurement and product-quality questions; DGS said it priced products at a medium-to-high quality level and will consult HHS on product specifications (cotton, fragrance-free, etc.). Members also discussed dispenser design and confirmed the intent to use time-release or single-dispense units to discourage bulk removal.

No motion was made to advance the amendment at the joint meeting. "Hearing none, those amendments will not move forward," the chair said, and the committees moved to a contingency plan: the chairs will prepare a joint letter to the County Executive requesting a supplemental appropriation to launch the pilot or requesting that funding be included in the FY27 proposed budget. Committee leaders said that if the executive does not act, the Council may place the item as a line in the operating budget.

The committees agreed to pursue executive-branch funding and follow up on implementation timelines and product specifications. Staff also noted that MCPS (Montgomery County Public Schools) materials were included in the packet but that MCPS representatives were not present to answer implementation questions about school distribution.

The joint session adjourned and moved to the next agenda item.