Orlando, FL – In honor of the passage of a one-year tax exemption for children’s diapers in Florida, Representative Anna V. Eskamani will host a virtual press conference celebrating the win for Florida’s families. This event will take place on Tuesday, October 11th at 9:30AM via Zoom and Facebook Live and include Senate bill sponsor Leader Lauren Book in addition to Lacey Gero, the Policy & Coalition Coordinator of the National Diaper Bank Network.
Building off eliminating sales tax for tampons and hygiene products in 2017, the Florida House and Senate agreed to add Representative Anna V. Eskamani (D-Orlando) and Senator Lauren Book’s (D-Plantation) legislation House Bill 85 to the 2022 Tax Package. This includes a one-year tax break on children’s diapers, which can cost families more than $70 per month, creating a significant burden for low income households. One in three families in the U.S cannot afford the cost of diapers, struggling to keep their children clean and healthy. This new tax break will be applied from July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023, but Representative Eskamani hopes to see this become permanent and include adult diapers.
In the aftermath of Hurricane Ian, the need for diapers among families has only increased.
“As the Ranking Member of the Ways & Means Committee, I am committed to making life easier for working families and everyday people. After collaborating with so many diaper banks throughout the state, it became even more clear to me that we must eliminate the sales tax on diapers — this is a regressive tax on a necessary item and parents should not be taxed for meeting the basic needs of their kids. I’m honored that my colleagues agree and now families won’t see a tax on their receipts this year.” Representative Eskamani said.
“It’s time to stop taxing Florida families for essential healthcare items,” says Leader Book, Vice Chair of the Senate Committee on Children, Families, and Elder Affairs. “Raising a family comes with overwhelming costs and it’s an important step forward that Florida has stopped taxing children’s diapers this year, joining 15 other states that have removed the tax entirely.”
- WHO: Representative Anna V. Eskamani, Leader Lauren Book, Lacey Gero, Policy & Coalition Coordinator of the National Diaper Bank Network
- WHAT: Celebrating Florida’s first Diaper Tax Break
- WHEN: Tuesday, October 11th from 9:30AM-10:00AM
- WHERE: facebook.com/AnnaForFlorida
- RSVP: bit.ly/fldiapers
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