Texas House Bill to remove sales tax from baby, female hygiene products advances to Senate

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Texas could soon join 23 other states that have eliminated the sales tax on feminine hygiene products and some baby supplies. House Bill 300 passed the Texas House this week and is expected to move to the senate.

“It’s a huge victory for us. Don’t get me wrong, it’s huge. But of course, it is just, it is a step in the right direction,” said Natalie Flores, president of PeriodETX, a nonprofit that provides menstrual education and free period products.

HB 300 would add “tax exempt status to products that you might buy on a daily basis or feel is necessary for your own personal hygiene,” Mark Owens, UT Tyler Associate Professor of Political Science said.

Owens said it would get rid of taxes on women’s hygiene products including tampons, maternity clothing and baby items like diapers and formula.

“If you’re visually impaired, there’s things here to help with brail devices, other medical devices, syringes will now no longer be taxed as well if you needed this medication, insulin is not going to be taxed,” Owens said.

The bill was first proposed in 2017.

“The House made one particular amendment to this. And this came from East Texas Representative Bryan Slaton. He offered the one amendment to the bill it successfully passed overwhelmingly but he added adult diapers to the idea of just being children diapers as well,” Owens said.

The bill will now move to the Texas Senate. If it passes there, it will then head to Gov. Abbott’s desk.

“These are all things that you know individuals feel like might be necessary or required. If you’re involved in this, this is going to be a huge financial help to you for things that you’re buying already,” Owens said.

If the bill passes, it will go into effect on Sept. 1st, 2023.

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