Pavalock Co-Sponsors Bill to Stop Taxing Baby Diapers
HARTFORD- In an effort to provide much needed relief to struggling families, State Rep. Cara Pavalock (R-Bristol) co-sponsored a bill exempting baby diapers from the state sales tax.
The measure, House Bill 6595, An Act Exempting Baby Diapers from the Sales Tax, would exempt baby diapers from the 6.35% state sales tax. The bill passed unanimously out of the Children’s committee and moves to the House of Representatives for further debate.
“I proudly co-sponsored this bill which goes a long way in providing immediate relief for our low- and middle- income families with infants and toddlers,” said Pavalock, a member of the House Republican Women’s Caucus. “Diapers are a necessary and very costly expense for those with young children. I continue to hear from people who are living paycheck to paycheck just to provide the basic necessities. It is my hope that this bill will help to ease the financial burden for those struggling families.”
During the public hearing on the bill, the Children’s committee heard testimony from The Diaper Bank representatives who testified that due to the high cost of diapers, in poor and low-income households, babies can sometimes spend a day or longer in one diaper, leading to a risk of numerous health problems.
The Diaper Bank helps to consolidate fundraising and distribution efforts of free diapers to poor families through existing service providers. Through its extensive Diaper Distribution Network (DDN) of 66 agencies, The Diaper Bank provides free diapers to poor and low-income families in New Haven, Bridgeport, Hartford, and Middlesex Counties.
It’s estimated that disposable baby diapers can cost more than $50 per month, or at least $600 in the first year. While this would be expensive for any family, it is particularly burdensome for low-income families.
A proposal such as this would be helpful in offsetting the potential cut to the tax exemption on clothing.
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