Require Correctional Facilities to provide free feminine hygiene products
Summary
HB2921 would require female inmates in jails, regional jails, and state correctional facilities, as well as female juveniles in juvenile detention, to be provided free feminine hygiene products on request. The bill defines feminine hygiene products as tampons and sanitary napkins and requires that they be provided as soon as practicable, but no later than eight hours after a request. It adds this requirement to the corrections and juvenile custody statutes so that the obligation applies across adult and juvenile custodial settings.
In addition to creating the new free-supply requirement, the bill amends existing corrections and juvenile care provisions to incorporate the same mandate into the sections governing inmate medical care and juvenile treatment. The bill also leaves intact existing provisions on inmate medical charges, reimbursement for self-induced drug-related medical treatment, and juvenile custody administration, while inserting the new access standard for menstrual products into those frameworks.
Impact
The bill would change West Virginia law by creating an explicit statutory duty for correctional and juvenile detention authorities to provide menstrual hygiene products at no cost to female prisoners and female juveniles in custody. It would affect the Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation, jail and regional jail facilities, state correctional facilities, and the Division of Juvenile Services, requiring them to stock and distribute these items within the time frame set by the bill. The measure would also require related administrative implementation through agency rules and facility procedures, but it does not create a fee or reimbursement mechanism for the products themselves.
Sentiment
The available record suggests the bill was introduced as a straightforward correctional health and dignity measure, with no recorded committee debate or vote history in the provided materials. The caption and bill note frame it as a requirement to provide free feminine hygiene products, indicating a policy goal centered on basic access and sanitation for incarcerated women and girls. Because there are no transcripts or votes included, there is no documented opposition or support in the supplied context beyond the bill’s stated purpose.
Contention
The main policy issue likely to arise from the bill is whether correctional and juvenile facilities should be required to provide menstrual products free of charge and within a short time window, which could raise operational and cost concerns for jail administrators and the state. Another possible point of contention is the bill’s scope: it applies to both adult female inmates and female juveniles, and it embeds the requirement into multiple code sections rather than creating a single standalone provision. No specific objections or amendments are shown in the provided record, so any contention is inferred from the subject matter rather than documented debate.