Journalist: Heidi Hampton (TU)
Noelle Brezillac, a House member from Southern Nazarene University, proposed House Bill NSU-502 which passed after debate with a vote of 60-14. The bill, named “FACE”, proposes a system similar to Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program in which qualifying Oklahomans are given a “FACE Card” which can be used to purchase qualifying products from accredited retailers. Brezillac stated the program would be gender neutral and every qualifying Oklahoman could gain access to a FACE Card.
Brezillac stated in her opening speech that the bill started out as a joke bill, however the House body had a lot of opinions about the bill. The bill was initially described as being “created to offset pink tax”. During the time for debate the opposition brought up concerns regarding the program’s cost to taxpayers, however it was not a large point of contention.
During the debate the proponent side did not discuss the costs of the program but instead focused on the positive benefits the program would bring to society. The proponent side emphasized the point, the more ‘baddies’ we have, the better we are as a society. The opposition brought up similar points as the proponent side about having more ‘baddies’ as a benefit to society, however they worried about the monetary and social cost of the program. The bill does not just extend to makeup, rather it also covers products such as lotions or moisturizers.
The bill outlines the way the program will work. The money would be accessed through an electronic card payment, similar to SNAP cards. The bill outlines strict monitoring of the purchases made with the money, and states only the money will only be accessible when purchasing approved products from approved retailers. If the FACE Card is misused, then it will be revoked and the person committing the offense will be permanently banned from the program. With this bill, qualifying Oklahomans would have wider access to beauty products.