The House, Wednesday, May 8, 2019

Rep. Alicia Lekas (R - Hills 38)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Thank you, fellow legislators. I have to tell you I dreamed this testimony in the middle of the night. I also, in my testimony, in my dream started by singing The Sound of Silence. I will save you from that, but if you want you can hear it in your mind. And, why The Sound of Silence because that's the sound of young ladies whose parents don't have enough money to buy menstrual products and they actually stay home. They end up using old socks, newspapers, whatever. They don't feel comfortable with that and they actually end up staying home, so The Sound of Silence. I also thought what can we do about this? Do you know there are 400 people in this room representing the entire state and if 400 people care about this bill and we use our leadership skills and go back to our districts and start a movement to get feminine hygiene products in our schools, we can do this just like they did in India. And, we can get this done and we don't need an unfunded mandate to do it. We can do it on our own time and effort and energy and get it into the schools. That is what I thought, but I'm here to speak on this bill and so the bill doesn't say that. The bill, as amended, says the school district shall make menstrual hygiene products available at no cost and the school district shall bear the cost of supplying these menstrual hygiene products. What school districts are most going to be impacted by this? The school districts who have the most poor. Those are also the school districts that have been coming to the Education Departments in the House and in the Senate and telling us that they have no money. And, telling us that they've already closed schools. They've already eliminated AP classes. They've already eliminated foreign language classes. They have leaking roofs. They don't have money for academic programs and we're going to mandate to them that they use money to buy feminine hygiene products for every single bathroom when they don't have money for academic programs. So, my question to you is, is it better to form a movement, get people to voluntarily have charity drives for the supplies, have fundraisers for the money, speak to manufacturers to donate or is it better to force school districts to pay for something that they can't afford? Thank you.

Speaker ShurtleffWill the member yield to a question? Rep. Mangipudi, you may inquire.

Rep. Latha Mangipudi (D - Hills 11)Thank you, Mister Speaker and thank you, Representative, for taking my question. When I testified in the committee, I did say that my husband and I have worked with a lot of NGOs to address this issue and I also mentioned that there was a public/private partnership that the Indian Government partnered with the Rotaries and the NGOs to provide the basic hygiene products for the girls in the rural communities. As leaders in our community, don't you think as legislators what we have is the ability to make this happen so that not a single young woman, which is a basic need, to provide for them in the school? I'm all for volunteering.

Speaker ShurtleffWould the member suspend for a moment? I know you are getting close to a question mark here somewhere.

Rep. Latha Mangipudi (D - Hills 11)Would you believe that a public/private partnership would be a much better way to go than to just doing voluntary, saying do this in your district?

Rep. Alicia Lekas (R - Hills 38)Actually, in this case, given that our schools are already so much out of money, no. I do not believe we should be telling them to spend money on this, however, I do believe that there are good leaders in this room and that we can get this movement started and that we can get it to happen voluntarily. Thank you.

Speaker ShurtleffThe question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended. The Chair recognizes the member from Conway, Rep. Woodcock, to speak in support of the recommendation.

Rep. Stephen Woodcock (D - Carr 2)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Fellow Representatives, just over 5 weeks ago a Spaulding High School senior, Caroline Dillon, walked into the Education Committee room to testify on SB 142. This bill, which has already passed the Senate, was sponsored by 6 Senators and 4 Members of the House, was important to her, it was personal. It was her initiative, you see. Last year, she attended a student conference with over 300 other students from New Hampshire. While she was there she heard and was reminded of what she had seen and witnessed at her hometown. Her fellow classmates not coming to school, absent, because their families didn't have sufficient funds to provide the feminine products that were needed. This situation has a name and to be honest I had never heard of the name. I had never heard of the term "period poverty." Caroline did something. She began a campaign in her town and by Spring the Rochester school committee had approved a bill very similar to SB 142, which is free feminine hygiene products for female students at the middle and high schools, tampons and sanitary napkins. These items are not frills, extras or a fad. They are the basic necessities of young women developing. We all recognize that most schools, the school nurse may have items or perhaps the Phys Ed teacher or some other female teacher. They help students that unexpectantly may need a tampon or a sanitary napkin. But, what about those low-income women, those that have none? By the way, Food Stamps do not cover these. What does she do during her period? Wait until the nurse's office is free between classes? Try to get to the gym to see a Phys Ed teacher? This is not reasonable, and it is humiliating. What about her self-identity and her self-esteem? She knows that her friends know that she can't afford the products. It became pretty obvious to the other students in the school that she kept head- ing to the nurse's office to hide out or perhaps she uses something that really isn't sanitary or healthy. Some question why is this an educational issue, why is it before the Education Committee? Well, I'll let you know. Because she often is not in school, preferring to stay at home or skip in lieu of being embarrassed or being humiliated. It is an educational issue when the youngsters do not come to school. The committee during exec session debated which grade level is appropriate to provide feminine hygiene products. And as many school districts have different grade configurations, K-5, 6-9, 9-12, middle, high school, junior high school, it became very difficult. The committee settled on the term middle and high school, however, this does not preclude any school at any level from providing responses and products to these young women. We acknowledge that the onset of a young woman's period will differ depending on individual biological makeup. We know that schools, especially in the k-4 or the k-5, k-6 configuration will need products and typically the school nurse, health and Phys Ed teacher will be able to assist. As a former administrator and athletic director, I know personally that many of the manufacturers offer free napkins and tampax and tampons in schools. I'm also positive that many community organizations will step forward to help. It seems that one of the trademarks about this wonderful State of New Hampshire is that people step up and people help, but make no mistake, there may be a cost, small but nevertheless a cost to local school budgets for these hygiene products. Would we stop ordering toilet paper because it costs? Every student doesn't use it, or they may not need to, and they don't bring it from home, but it's a basic item which you provide. This is exactly the same. You may recall that some of that bathroom tissue in schools often isn't as soft and comforting as perhaps what you might get at home. This is the same with these feminine products. We are not talking about top of the line, top of the shelf, most expensive. We are talking about a basic item for a basic need. So, let me tell you one more short story and I'll close. Over the past 30 years I have had the privilege coaching women's sports in some very affluent communities and at a very expensive private college. Honestly, it never crossed my mind until 2 years ago when I was coaching at a small high school in a small town in New Hampshire. Preseason was going very well, and I could feel that these young women were ready, they were working hard, and we had a great chance. I was all excited about opening day and I am looking around, counting heads in the dugout and asked, where is my shortstop? Another girl speaks up and says, "Coach, she never comes during her period." I said, why? "Because all we have is white pants." Think of that. Everyone on that team knew that the young woman was unfortunate and needless issues that could have been preserved, could have been taken care of for that young lady. I can't imagine how difficult it would be for her to speak with me the next day, but she came up and said, "Coach, my parents can't afford it." She was humiliated, and she was embarrassed. Let me be clear to read a couple of lines from a letter to close submitted by an assistant superintendent of the schools that is part of the hearing record. She said this, "This legislation brought to you today, SB 142, would allow for all female students in New Hampshire to be supported as well as ease the financial impact of those under resourced females who may not have access to these much-needed supplies." I ask you to support SB 142 and push the green button. Thank you.

Speaker ShurtleffWill the member yield to a question? The member does not yield. The question before the House is on the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended. Rep. Notter has requested a roll call vote. Is that sufficiently seconded? It is sufficiently seconded. This will be a roll call vote. Members will kindly take their seats. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended. The Chair recognizes Rep. Notter for a parliamentary inquiry. The House will be in order and allow the member to be heard.

Rep. Jeanine Notter (R - Hills 21)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Mister Speaker, if I know that the Education Committee heard in testimony that school nurses already have personal hygiene products on hand for when they are needed. And if I know that I grew up in a home of very limited finances, but never once did we ever ask for or receive a hand out for anything, including menstrual products. If I further know that the majority amendment makes school districts bear the cost of supplying personal hygiene products which means that this is an unfunded mandate in violation of Article 28-A of our state constitution and that means a tax and as we all know, taxation is theft, would I then press the red button against this yet another socialist subsidy? Thank you, Mister Speaker.

Speaker ShurtleffThe House will be in order. The question before the House is on the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended. The Chair recognizes Rep. Mullen for a parliamentary inquiry.

Rep. Sue Mullen (D - Hills 7)Thank you, Mister Speaker. Mister Speaker, if I know that in New Hampshire approximately 1 in 5 girls are forced to leave school early or miss school entirely due to not having access to menstrual hygiene products. And, if I know that chronic absences lead to impaired academic performance and an inability to access the confidence building extracurricular activities. If I further know that in schools where menstrual hygiene supplies are provided increased attendance and productivity have been reported and that this bill allows for schools to partner or seek grants from community-based organizations to fund the supplies. If I believe that by providing these necessities to middle and high school aged girls, that we are reducing the risk of potential health issues and increasing the likelihood of better educational outcomes, would I not support the committees report on SB 142 as amended by pushing the green button?

Speaker ShurtleffThe House will be in order. The question before the House is the recommendation that the bill Ought to Pass as Amended. This is a roll call vote. If you are in favor, you'll press the green button. If you are opposed, you'll press the red button. Voting stations will be open for 30 seconds. Have all members present had an opportunity to vote? The House will be attentive to the state of the vote. With 211 members voting Yea and 135 voting Nay, the recommendation is adopted.