Today in his “Framework for Freedom” budget, Governor Ron DeSantis announced strong support for Senate Democratic Leader Lauren Book (D-Davie)’s continued quest to prevent Florida families from being charged sales tax when purchasing diapers and adult incontinence undergarments — building on the Democratic leader’s landmark victory last year, which resulted in the elimination of diaper sales tax through June 30, 2023.
“We are honored to have the Governor’s strong support for our proposal to permanently end Florida’s diaper tax and lower costs for working families across the state,” says Leader Book, a child advocate and mother of five-year-old twins who has introduced legislation to end the diaper tax since first elected to the Senate in 2016. “After years of fighting, we successfully worked across the aisle to end sales tax on diapers for one year. While we are truly helping families with young children across the state, the powers that be limited us last year in only providing this relief for infant diapers, through June 2023. This year, we are continuing to fight for a permanent exemption on all diapers — including adult incontinence products — because working families shouldn’t be taxed on essential health care items.”
If passed, SB 114 would make Florida the twenty-second state to remove sales tax charges for diapers.
Diapers cannot be purchased with food stamps, and families cannot be receiving federal or state cash assistance except for Special Supplemental Nutrition Program for Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) to be eligible to get diapers at no cost from diaper banks. Disposable diapers can cost families more than $70 per month, creating significant cost burden for low income families. Forty-nine percent of Florida’s children under age 3 live in low-income families, as do 10 percent of Florida’s elders. According to the Tampa Bay Times, “the cost [of diapers] can consume 6 percent of total annual pay. For the lowest-income parents, it’s as much as 14 percent.”
