Tennessee Senate Bill SB2683

Tennessee 2025-2026 Regular Session

• Introduced: 2/2/26

Caption

AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4; Title 49 and Title 67, Chapter 6, relative to feminine hygiene products.

Summary

SB2683 would exempt feminine hygiene products from Tennessee’s sales tax and require the Department of Education, upon request from a public school administrator, board, or director of schools, to ensure that feminine hygiene products are provided free of charge to students in public schools. The bill defines feminine hygiene products to include items used in connection with menstruation or other genital-tract secretions, specifically naming tampons and sanitary napkins. The measure is framed as a response to “period poverty,” with legislative findings describing the health, educational, and economic harms associated with lack of access to menstrual products. It cites concerns that students and other individuals may miss school, work, or daily activities when they cannot afford these products, and that inadequate access can lead to health risks and inequities, particularly for women and girls and for certain marginalized student populations.

Impact

This bill would amend Tennessee Code Annotated Title 67 to create a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products and Title 49 to authorize free distribution of those products in public schools when requested by school officials. If enacted, it would reduce state tax revenue from sales of menstrual products and shift responsibility to the Department of Education to provide or facilitate access to free products in participating public schools. The bill would directly affect consumers of menstrual products, public school students, and school systems that choose to request the service.

Sentiment

The bill’s stated purpose and findings suggest generally supportive sentiment toward addressing menstrual equity, public health, and educational access. Because no committee transcripts or recorded votes were provided, there is no documented debate or formal vote history in the supplied materials. The overall framing of the bill is affirmative and remedial, emphasizing access and fairness rather than controversy.

Contention

The main potential points of contention are fiscal and administrative: the sales tax exemption would reduce state revenue, and the school provision would require the Department of Education to supply products to public schools upon request. Another possible issue is the bill’s scope and implementation, including how schools would request products, how distribution would be funded and managed, and whether the definition of feminine hygiene products is broad enough or too narrow. No specific opposing viewpoints are included in the provided record, so any contention is inferred from the bill’s structure rather than from documented debate.