Update: On March 29, 2023, the Texas House passed a bill that repeals the state sales tax on diapers, period products and baby wipes. The bill now goes to the Texas Senate.
Texas lawmakers from both sides of the aisle are coming together to support a bill that would impact parents’ wallets: a repeal on the state sales tax on diapers.
In November, state Rep. Donna Howard (D-Austin) filed House Bill 199, which calls for a sales tax exemption for both child and adult diapers. According to The Dallas Morning News, Howard has tried for several legislative sessions to end the 6.25% sales tax on diapers, but just recently joined forces with state Rep. Jared Patterson (R-Frisco), who signed on as co-author of the bill on February 22. If passed, the bill would be an amendment to the state tax code.
The move came after advocates from the Texas Coalition of Diaper Banks recently visited the Texas Capital to urge lawmakers to support families by making diapers more affordable. Currently, Texas is one of 29 states that charge a sales tax on diapers, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Sixteen states have some form of explicit sales tax exemption on diapers.
RELATED: 27 Laws Every Texan Parent Should Know
Diapers are already a huge expense for caregivers and are not covered by any federal assistance program. In the first month of life, newborns average up to 8 to 10 diaper changes per day, and over the first three months, babies go through about 700 diapers. A baby can go through an average of 2,200 diapers a year, which according to the National Diaper Bank Network, works out to about $1,080. In Texas, parents have an added cost of nearly $70 annually due to sales tax.
About one in three U.S. families struggle to provide enough diapers for their baby, says the Texas Coalition of Diaper Banks, which helps fill the need by providing diapers directly to families or to partner agencies that work with families in need. Since the pandemic, diaper banks have reported a 200–600% increase in demand. In Texas, the 11 National Diaper Bank members—which locally include sites in Dallas, Fort Worth and McKinney—distributed more than 7.5 million diapers in 2021, diapering 12,623 children each month. One of those banks, Hope Supply Co., in Dallas, distributes 55,000 diapers every week.
If you need help with diapers, reach out to these local resources:
Baby Booties Diaper Bank, McKinney
iLookLikeLove, Dallas
North Dallas Shared Ministries Food Pantry
Junior League of Fort Worth Diaper Bank
Hope Supply Co., Dallas
RELATED: How iLookLikeLove is Serving New Moms in Need
This article was originally published in February 2023.
Image: iStock
