The state House voted unanimously Tuesday to remove sales taxes from diapers and feminine products.
The tax exemption would apply to diapers for babies and adults, as well as baby wipes. Feminine hygiene products like tampons and pads would also become tax exempt.
Sherry Presnall with the nonprofit group Diaper Train spoke in favor of the bill during a hearing before the House Finance Committee.
"The average family spends about $1,200 a year on diapers alone, and because most child care centers require parents to provide a daily supply of diapers, families often can't work unless they can afford them," Presnall told lawmakers. "An average caregiver who is experiencing diaper poverty reports missing up to five days or work shifts per month. Diapers are not simply a household expense, they're a workforce issue."
The bill passed two House committees Tuesday morning before being fast-tracked to a floor vote.
The new exemption would cost state and local governments an estimated $75 million annually in sales tax revenue.
"We're putting $75 million back in the pockets of women and families across the state," said Rep. Mike Schietzelt, R-Wake and the bill's sponsor. "It's pro-affordability, it's pro-equality, and it is pro-family."
An earlier version of the bill would have extended the sales tax exemption to prenatal vitamins and over-the-counter medication for children. Schietzelt said those provisions were deleted due to potential conflicts with other state sales tax policies.
It's unclear if the Senate will support the proposal — this year's legislative session is wrapping up soon, and the change wasn't one of many tax law changes included in the budget bill released Tuesday.
