AUGUSTA — Having a baby is expensive. Rep. Kelly Murphy, D-Scarborough, is sponsoring a bill to make the cost of providing for infants and toddlers more affordable.
Kelly presented LD 287, An Act to Support Parents by Providing a Sales Tax Exemption for Diapers, before the Legislature’s Taxation Committee on Feb. 14.
The bill would provide a sales tax exemption for disposable and reusable diapers for children beginning Jan. 1.
According to the National Diaper Network, sponsored by Huggies, the average monthly supply of disposable diapers costs approximately $80 for one child. The cost increases if a family has more than one child still in diapers.
In July 2021, Bloomberg reported that the cost of Pampers went from about $25 for 200 diapers to $40 for 168 in just six months.
“The overall cost of diapers has risen an unprecedented 22% since 2018, while U.S. inflation rates peaked at 9.1% in June 2022. That means prices are rising at more than double the rate of inflation,” according to a Sept. 19, 2022 letter to Proctor & Gamble CEO Jon Moeller by a coalition of America’s leading parent, child, and economic justice organizations accusing the company of price gauging.
“Maine remains the only state in New England to continue to impose a sales tax on diapers, which is something we should look to change,” said Murphy. “Purchasing diapers can be a major cost for parents struggling to make a living. The very least we can do to help families is to reduce the cost for them a bit by eliminating this sales tax.”
“Though it’s been decades since my children were in diapers, it would be hard to forget the sheer volume of diapers newborns go through and how quickly it adds up. Diapers are not a luxury item; they are a medically necessary expense for individuals with young children. Maine’s tax code ought to reflect that,” said Senate President Troy Jackson, D-Allagash, a cosponsor of the proposed legislation. “By exempting both reusable and disposable diapers from sales tax, the Legislature can make things a little easier on parents and the nonprofit organizations seeking to provide these essentials to those in need.”
Organizations including Maine Equal Justice submitted written testimony in favor of the bill.
“Access to diapers is critical for child and maternal health as well as parents’ ability to work,” said Ann Danforth, a policy advocate with Maine Equal Justice. “The high cost of diapers often falls hardest on mothers, who are more likely to be caring for young children. Inflation has only made diapers even more expensive, with demand at diaper banks increasing since the start of the pandemic.”
The bill faces further action in the Taxation Committee in the coming weeks.
Murphy, a member of the Education and Cultural Affairs Committee, is serving her first term in the Maine House and represents part of Scarborough.
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