© 2024 All Rights reserved WUSF
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Get the latest coverage of the 2023 Florida legislative session in Tallahassee from our coverage partners and WUSF.

Permanent tax-free diapers and incontinence products get bipartisan support in Legislature

 The tax exemption will take effect in July.
Pixabay
The tax exemption will take effect in July. It will cover diapers, incontinence undergarments, incontinence pads and incontinence liners.

The Florida House has passed a permanent tax exemption on baby diapers and adult incontinence products in the state.

The Florida House has passed a permanent tax exemption on baby diapers and adult incontinence products in the state.

In 2022, the Florida Legislature made diapers tax-free for a year, but that sales tax exemption did not include feminine hygiene or incontinence products.

Rep. Anna Eskamani said the bipartisan legislation now awaiting the governor's signature includes diapers, incontinence undergarments, incontinence pads and incontinence liners.

“And, candidly, this is also very personal for me, because at my mom's end of life when she was battling cancer, we turned to adult incontinence products," said Eskamani. "And it was very difficult for us, it was also felt very embarrassing. So, part of my mission has been to break the stigma and to help families realize that it's OK, you need these resources.”

The National Diaper Bank Network says about 50 diaper banks in the state give out almost 7 million diapers annually to families in need.

That's why Eskamani says the permanent exemption is a huge win for working class families in the state.

"This is important because we need to ensure that for our families, regardless of where they are in life, whether they're newborns or whether they're aging or living with a disability, that they have access to these essential goods without having to pay tax," said Eskamani. "And we're going to be saving Florida families upwards of $100 million a year by eliminating this tax.”

The tax exemption will take effect in July.

Copyright 2023 WMFE. To see more, visit WMFE.

Danielle Prieur
You Count on Us, We Count on You: Donate to WUSF to support free, accessible journalism for yourself and the community.