Proposed state bill seeks to eliminate tax on tampons

In Florida, tampons are considered a luxury item. A new bill in the Florida House of Representatives is trying to change that.

House Bill 63, filed by Florida House Rep. and Democrat Katie Edwards in December, proposes that feminine hygiene products are necessary for women and should not be subject to Florida’s 6-percent sales tax. If passed, the law will exempt tampons, pads and similar items from the taxes starting Jan. 1, 2018.

Republican Rep. Rene Plasencia of District 50, co-sponsor of the bill, said he decided to support proposal after many of his constituents requested the removal of tampon taxes.

“I thought to myself, ‘They don’t have a choice; they have to buy it,’” he said.

Plasencia, 44, said he thinks the bill is important, but only about 15 percent of bills actually pass into law. He believes the tax break would be reasonable.

“Why wouldn’t we include a tax break for something that women have to have?” Plasencia said. “It just seems unfair.”

HB63 has a companion bill in the Florida Senate, which may help the bill pass, Plasencia said.

Currently, only seven states have removed the sales tax from feminine hygiene products, according to The Council of State Governments. Last year, tax exemptions were passed in Connecticut, Illinois and New York.

Limited access to tampons and pads have dangerous repercussions, which include risk of infection, said UF assistant Professor Deepthi Varma, who specializes in women’s health.

“If feminine products are not easily available and are not affordable to all women, it can impact their health,” Varma said.

Varma said women who are homeless, have disabilities or come from low-income families have a harder time accessing or paying for tampons and pads.

“Any policies or regulations that make access easier for women — I’m completely in support of that,” Varma said.

UF student Sachy Garg said tax-free tampons would help those who can’t afford expensive products.

“There’s a huge disparity when it comes to having access to sanitary projects,” the 20-year-old nutritional sciences sophomore said.

Many women have a stressful time dealing with menstruation due to a lack of resources, she said. New inventions such as absorbent under- wear are helpful, but don’t solve the

problem.

“It just sucks that it happens every single month,” Garg said.

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