MONUMENT — Families could soon save money on essentials items like tampons and diapers.
HB22-1055 would create a sales tax exemption for all sales, storage, use and consumption of diapers and feminine hygiene products.
Monument mother Caitlin Miller supports the bill making it's way through the state legislature. Her 11 month old daughter Emma Grace was born three month early.
"She does get oxygen, and I know when she gets all of her food because it goes through a G-tube in her belly. She has a button on her belly that I connect her feeding tube to and so I know when she gets it and what goes in, must come out," said Miller. ""When she was smaller, she went through I don't even how many diapers per day, but now she goes through 10-15 a day."
Miller says it can make it hard to make ends meet, especially when they have to buy other necessities.
"Going to school, trying to pay rent, and take care of a special needs baby. Its expensive and hard," said Miller.
She says the legislation could make a big difference for her family.
"If this bill passed, we're going to save, even if its just a little bit, its going to be so helpful in the long run," said Miller.
State lawmakers say there are more than 202,000 children in the state, and families spend $80 per child per month on diapers. Funds that they could be saving during a time of rising food and gas costs.
"It would make it a little easier to buy the food we need, diapers that Emma needs or my mother in law," said Lee Henry.
Miller's father says his elderly mother in law goes through two cases of depends each week.
"If we were to get rid of that tax, that means we could purchase that many more diapers," said Henry.
If passed, proponents of the bill say it would cost the state $5.2 million this year, and $11 next year.
"It would be a hit to the state revenue, but we are in a much better place than we were when I introduced this in 2017," said Rep. Susan Lontine, (D) Denver.
She says it's needed now more than ever with rising costs.
"For those people who say this isn't going to help at all, obviously they're people that grew up not needing that stuff. I am sure they found other solutions but some of us just can't do other solutions," said Miller.
The bill passed in the House, and now goes to the Senate.
