H.R. 922: Period PROUD (Providing Resources for Our Underserved and Disadvantaged) Act of 2025

HR922, the Period PROUD Act of 2025, would make a large federal investment in menstrual product access over multiple years. The bill deems $1,900,000,000 under the Social Services Block Grant for each of fiscal years 2025 through 2028, then adds a separate direct appropriation of $200,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2026 through 2029. On top of that, not more than $6,000,000 is authorized for administration for fiscal years 2026 through 2029, and all of these funds are protected from sequestration cuts under the Balanced Budget and Emergency Deficit Control Act of 1985.

The money is tightly structured. Up to 2% of the annual appropriation for fiscal years 2026 through 2029 can be reserved for technical assistance and training through agreements with eligible nonprofit entities, and up to $2,000,000 is reserved in fiscal year 2026 for evaluation. Eligible entities include a state or local governmental entity, an Indian tribe or tribal organization, or a 501(c)(3) nonprofit. To qualify, they must show experience distributing basic needs like diapers, food, or menstrual products, prove they can handle fiscal and data reporting, and agree to share information.

The bill also puts guardrails on how the funds can be used. Recipients must use the money to supplement, not replace, existing Federal, State, local, or philanthropic funding. Eligible entities may spend no more than 9% of their funds on administrative costs. The Secretary of Health and Human Services is specifically barred from limiting the locations where menstrual products may be distributed, which gives recipients flexibility to use schools, community sites, shelters, food distribution points, or other local settings. Funds sent to eligible entities must be spent in the fiscal year they are received or in the following fiscal year.

The bill defines menstrual products broadly as menstrual cups, menstrual discs, menstrual underwear, and sanitary napkins and tampons, as long as they conform to applicable industry standards. It also tries to make the help easier to use by requiring that assistance under the Act be disregarded when determining eligibility for other federal needs-based programs. HHS must issue guidance within 180 days of enactment, complete an evaluation of the program by December 30, 2031, submit the results to the House Committees on Energy and Commerce and Ways and Means and the Senate Committee on Finance by March 31, 2032, and publish the results on the HHS website by April 30, 2032.