NY Legislature Passes Bill to Allow Diapers to be Sold Tax-Free

By Yehudit Garmaise

Diapers in New York may soon be sold tax-free if Gov. Kathy Hochul signs a bill that was passed by both the NY state Senate and the Assembly last week.

"For many families struggling to make ends meet, sales taxes add an extra expense to an already pricy essential item like diapers,” Assemblyman Al Stirpe, (D-127th), who co-sponsored the bill, told cnyccentral.com. “Additionally, elderly adults with limited income can also struggle to purchase these items that they need, to live with dignity. 

“It was only right we passed this commonsense measure, and it’s essential that this bill is signed into law." 

Families who cannot afford to buy diapers in bulk spend approximately twice as much buying packages one at a time, reported the Central New York (CNY) Diaper Bank, which is located in Syracuse, where 50% of children live in poverty.

“The heartbreaking truth is, every day, babies and toddlers go without the diapers they need to stay clean and healthy,” the CNY Diaper Bank Website says. “No baby should ever have to go without.”