Requires school districts to provide "period products" at no cost in middle schools and high schools and charter schools and repeals provisions prohibiting abortion services providers from providing instruction on human sexuality or sexually transmitted diseases
HB429 makes two main changes to Missouri law related to student services and health education. First, it creates a new requirement that beginning July 1, 2026, each charter school and public school district must provide period products—defined as tampons and sanitary napkins—in the restrooms of middle school, junior high school, and high school buildings. These products must be provided at no cost to students, and the state would bear the cost through funds appropriated to the Department of Elementary and Secondary Education for that purpose.
Second, the bill revises Missouri’s human sexuality instruction statute. It keeps and expands the list of required topics for sex education, including medically accurate information on abstinence, contraception, sexually transmitted diseases, adoption, conflict management, online safety, sexting, sexual harassment, sexual violence, and consent. It also preserves local control over whether and how such instruction is offered, while requiring parent notification, an opt-out right, and public inspection of curriculum materials. The bill repeals the existing prohibition that barred schools from using instruction or materials from abortion services providers, removing that restriction from the statute.
The bill would amend sections governing student health services and human sexuality instruction, replacing the current version of section 170.015 and adding a new section 167.632. School districts and charter schools would have a new statewide obligation to stock period products in specified school restrooms, with implementation and funding tied to state appropriations. It would also change the legal framework for sex education by deleting the abortion-provider exclusion and retaining detailed instructional requirements, parental notice, and local discretion over curriculum content and referral policies.
The bill appears generally supportive of student health and safety measures, particularly around menstrual equity and updated sex education content. The inclusion of free period products and expanded instruction on consent, harassment, and online safety suggests a public-health and student-support orientation. No committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, so there is no direct evidence of debate intensity or formal support/opposition in the available record.
The most notable point of contention is the repeal of the prohibition on schools using human sexuality or STD instruction from abortion services providers. Supporters would likely view this as removing a content-based restriction and broadening access to qualified educational materials, while opponents may see it as allowing abortion-related entities to influence school instruction. A second potential area of debate is the state funding obligation for period products, including whether the mandate is appropriate, how much it will cost, and whether the state should or will fully appropriate funds to cover implementation.