NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A bill filed in the Tennessee legislature would exempt some essential infant supplies from sales tax in the state. It's meant to make childcare a little more affordable as prices continue to rise across the country.
HB 1637 was introduced by Rep. Greg Martin (R - Hamilton County) and would exempt diapers, wipes and formula bought between July 1 and June 30, 2025, from sales tax. A box of diapers can cost between around $30 and $50 at many common grocery stores, depending on the count. That can result in up to $400 per month for some families.
The general sales tax rate in Tennessee is around 7%.
"We need help. We need prices dropped," said Kimberly O'Neal, a mother preparing to care for a newborn. "The cost of diapers can be very, very expensive."
She is soon going to be a mother of two boys. She said while caring for her first child, she went through a box of diapers every two or three days.
"Every hour, at least, if not more in between. And so, yeah, there's 24 hours in a day..so 24 diapers," she said.
She also said she couldn't breastfeed and had to rely on special formula to make sure her child had the nutrition he needed. She said it could cost around $300 per month. The bill would remove sales tax from liquid and powdered forms of formula.
"We went with powdered formula, which, unfortunately, he started having side effects with that. He was spitting up, throwing up constantly," she said.
Rep. Gloria Johnson (D - Knoxville) said helping parents and families as prices for almost everything continue to rise should be at the center of lawmakers' discussions when the legislature meets once again on Jan. 9.
"What legislators need to be doing is reducing taxes on hardworking families," she said. "This assembly can listen to the majority of Tennesseans who want higher wages, paid family leave, access to affordable health care, childcare infrastructure."
A companion bill in the Senate still needs to be introduced before both chambers can discuss it and it can end up on the governor's desk.