Council bill would put menstrual products in men’s bathrooms

At its bimonthly meeting Monday, the Baltimore City Council introduced a bill to expand access to menstrual products in bathrooms at city buildings.

“This bill would require all city-owned and leased buildings with public restrooms [to] provide menstrual products free of charge,” said Paris Gray, the bill’s lead sponsor. “This includes restrooms in all kinds of facilities, whether they are designated for men, women, family use or single occupancy.”

Gray’s bill requires municipal agencies to ensure that menstrual products are “properly stocked and maintained as a part of routine upkeep in all restrooms.”

Advocates of expanding access to menstrual products say the issue is centered on health equity and upholding dignity for transgender or non-binary people who may need to use menstrual products outside of the traditional women’s restroom setting.

“This is a simple, practical step that aligns with the city’s broader goal of advancing equity, accessibility and public health for all of our residents,” Gray said.

During the 2024 election, Democratic vice presidential nominee Tim Walz was criticized for taking similar action on menstrual health access while the governor of Minnesota. Walz’s bill mandated that tampons and other products “must be available to all menstruating students in restrooms regularly used by students in grades 4 to 12 according to a plan developed by the school district.”

Walz’s Republican detractors saw the move as unnecessary because biological males do not menstruate, leading them to dub him “Tampon Tim” as part of a broader campaign to paint Democrats as out-of-touch on social issues.

The bill has been referred to the Labor and Workforce Committee.

Water bills

Gray is also co-sponsoring a bill that would allow tenants to directly request a copy of their water bill from the city’s Department of Public Works (DPW). He says the effort is designed to ensure transparency during rising utility costs.

“It grants tenants the right to request copies of their waste and wastewater bills directly from DPW, eliminating the need to rely on landlords or property managers,” Gray said of the bill.

Gray said tenants would be able to request a copy of their bills by providing a copy of their lease as proof of residence.

The bill has been referred to the Housing and Economic Development Committee.

Workplace pregnancy

Gray’s third bill of the evening would require the city to make “reasonable accommodations” upon request and expand other protections for pregnant women in the workplace.

Employing similar rhetoric to his menstrual products proposal, the councilman framed the issue as one of health equity for expecting mothers.

“This bill is about safety, fairness and dignity for pregnant workers in Baltimore City,” Gray said. “Too many workers have faced discrimination, unsafe conditions or job loss simply for being pregnant.”

Gray noted that Black women are more at risk of miscarriages and other complications during pregnancy — a disparity he hopes the bill can help reduce.

The bill has been referred to the Labor and Workforce Committee.

Other business

Gray was the only council member to speak publicly on the three bills he sponsored, though Councilman John Bullock briefly discussed his bill to increase wages for tipped workers in Baltimore City.

When formally introducing his bill at the meeting, Bullock largely repeated his comments from earlier in the day. “All work has dignity,” Bullock said, adding that legislation to ensure tipped workers are compensated beyond Maryland’s $3.63 base hourly wage is necessary to recognize this.

Bullock’s bill is co-sponsored by four other council members: Gray, Jermaine Jones, James Torrence and Odette Ramos. It is opposed by City Council President Zeke Cohen, who worries about potential impact on restaurants recovering from the COVID-19 pandemic and economic uncertainty created by President Donald Trump’s widespread tariffs.

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