Ohio Senate passes bill to help parents save money

Diapers, strollers, car seats and other baby items would be exempt from state sales taxes, under a bill that cleared the Ohio Senate by unanimous vote Wednesday.

If Senate Bill 39 becomes law, parents would collectively save between $23.4 million and $38.6 million that’s currently paid in sales taxes on those items each year, according to Ohio Legislative Service Commission fiscal notes.

Here’s everything you need to know about the proposal.

What would Senate Bill 39 do?

The bill would exempt baby and child products from state sales tax, including:

● Diapers

● Car and booster seats

● Baby carriers

● Strollers

● Cribs (including portable cribs)

● Baby monitors and cameras that allow people to watch their babies from different rooms

What have Senate Bill 39 advocates said?

State Sen. Tim Schaffer, R-lancaster, who sponsored the bill, testified that it would provide incentive for families to raise their children in Ohio.

“A removal of sales tax from such products would ease the financial burden of raising children, and encourage people nationwide to start their family in Ohio,” he said. “This bill demonstrates that Ohio is truly pro-child and pro-family.”

The bill is backed by the Ohio chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics; Groundwork Ohio, a nonprofit focused on young children; and Bottoms Up Diaper Bank.

“Ohio is one of many states that utilizes the exemption of sales taxes on items that serve as basic necessities of everyday life, including medicine and food,” said Erin Ryan of Groundwork Ohio.

“Senate Bill 39 recognizes the basic, necessary role that everyday baby items, such as diapers, strollers, and car seats, play in raising a baby, while also providing additional financial savings during a time when families face immense expenses when preparing for and welcoming a new child into their lives.”

“Relieving the burden of taxation from diapers and other baby products can offer these mothers just a little much-needed breathing room while having only a minor impact on total state revenue,” said Tim Welsh, chief executive of Bottoms Up Diaper Bank.

What’s next?

The chances of the diaper tax break becoming law are good.

Senate President Matt Huffman, Rlima, said he wants to slip the provisions of the bill into the state budget bill, which is expected to receive final approval in late June.

If that doesn’t happen, Senate Bill 39 can be considered by the Ohio House as a standalone bill.

And Gov. Mike Dewine asked lawmakers to eliminate sales taxes on baby supplies last year.

Ohio would be joining 17 other states in exempting diapers from sales taxes, according to the National Diaper Bank Network. Jnimesheim@dispatch.com @Jacknimesheim