FEMININE HYGIENE PRODUCTS TAX EXEMPT? - Texas House Speaker Dade Phelan has prioritized a sales tax exemption for feminine hygiene products this legislative session. If passed, the law would allow feminine hygiene products to join other medical supplies in exemption from sales tax. House Bill-70 was authored by Representative Donna Howard who serves as the Chairwoman of the Texas Women’s Health Caucus. She says the current tax is discriminatory towards women and girls.
“It is a package of things that we're looking at to make tax exempt that helps families such as diapers, and breast pumps, and all those kinds of things,” Howard said.
Health care items like bandages and over-the-counter medications are already exempt from sales tax. Howard says it’s not the first time she and other lawmakers have tried to remove the so-called tampon tax.
“We have gotten hearings over the past several sessions and finally got some support, but it never got to where it needed to go to become law,” Howard said.
Howard made her comments at a conference for young women in leadership Friday. She says she thinks the bill finally has a chance of passing this session because of bipartisan support.
The Texas Legislative regular session began January 10th and is scheduled to run through May 29th.
