Texas passes bill for tax-free diapers and feminine products, a win for low-income families and advocates
Texas – In a monumental move heralded by longtime advocates and legislators, the state of Texas has finally achieved success in its repeated efforts to enact a significant policy change. Beginning on the first day of September, the Lone Star State will cease the collection of sales tax on essential baby products, including diapers and wipes, as well as menstrual products.
Tax-free diapers and feminine products bill will also help nonprofit organizations in Texas
Organizations devoted to healthcare access, such as the Austin Diaper Bank, have fervently campaigned for this cause, emphasizing the vital importance of making these necessities more accessible to low-income Texans. The nonprofit alone distributes nearly 200,000 diapers monthly, extending its helping hand to roughly 35,000 families annually.
Executive Director Holly McDaniel, who expressed her elation when the bill was ratified, succinctly summarized the dire need.
“For families who are living in poverty or have low incomes, diapers can be really expensive. And so a lot of times they’ll reuse diapers, they’ll use other things in place of a diaper. And we don’t want families to do that,” McDaniel said, as reported by KXAN.
Tax-free diapers and feminine products in Texas bill was pushed by Representative Donna Howard
The journey to the bill’s passage was neither swift nor smooth. Representative Donna Howard, D-Austin, introduced the legislation in four consecutive sessions before it finally garnered enough support. Howard highlighted the nearly $33 billion budget surplus as a crucial factor in propelling the bill to victory this year.
However, she also noted that the momentum might have been spurred by a broader legislative context, particularly a heightened effort by leadership to demonstrate support for women and families.
“I will say that I think it also came on the heels of the previous legislative session, and the Supreme Court ruling on Roe v. Wade, where there was a sense that the Texas Legislature was not taking care of women and not providing them access to health care,” she said.
“So there was more of an effort this time I think on the part of leadership to show that indeed, they did want to support women. They did want to support families.”
The tax-free diapers and feminine products initiative was also endorsed by the speaker of the House Dade Phelan
Speaker of the House Dade Phelan endorsed Howard’s initiative at the beginning of the session, making it one of his top priorities. The legislation was eventually signed into law as a Senate version of Howard’s bill, sponsored by Senator Joan Huffman, R-Houston.
Although the immediate savings resulting from the tax elimination might seem minuscule, Howard estimates that it will accumulate over time, creating a noticeable impact for families living paycheck to paycheck. She further stressed the need for continued progress.
“What we really need to be working toward now though, is how do we make sure we have more of these products — both diapers and period products — available to those who need them,” she said.
Additionally, the new law extends the tax elimination to adult diapers, underscoring the state’s commitment to supporting all its residents’ basic needs. The enactment of this legislation marks not merely a change in tax policy, but a significant stride in the ongoing battle for equitable healthcare access in Texas, an issue that continues to resonate with countless families across the state.
Click on the following link for more Texas politics news.
Thank you state of Texas. next make milk, formula, and baby stuff or new born items. I have seen people who need underwear. and other items.