One of the General Assembly’s leading advocates for women’s health, Sen. Gay was a prime sponsor of legislation that directed public schools throughout Delaware to provide students in grades 6-12 with tampons, pads and other period products free of charge, starting with the 2021-2022 school year.
The following year, she then passed Senate Bill 205 to expand access to free period products to students in grades 4 and 5.
Prior to the passage of this legislation, surveys found that 1 in 4 menstruating students had missed class due to a lack of period products, while nearly 7 in 10 reported feeling stressed due to a lack of access to those products.
By successfully providing free period products in Delaware schools, Sen. Gay has provided nearly 50,000 students a basic level of dignity and comfort from knowing their basic biological needs are being met.