Washington Closer to Exempting Feminine Hygiene Products from Sales Tax

Washington – A bill that would exempt female menstrual products from sales tax is moving toward becoming a law in Washington State.

Senate Bill 5147, Sponsored by Senator Lynda Wilson, R-Vancouver, would make sanitary napkins, tampons, and other feminine hygiene products exempt from state and local sales tax.

According to Period Equity, tampons and pads are necessities, yet 31 states still tax them and Period Equity wants to change that.  According to data provided by Period Equity, of the 19 states that do not tax menstrual products, five are states with no sales tax, including Alaska, Delaware, Montana, New Hampshire and Oregon. There are 14 states that have voted to exempt them from sales taxes.  The bill specifically exempts menstrual products from the state’s requirement that tax preferences expire after 10-years.

On Saturday the Senate voted 95 Yeas in favor of the bill and 2 Nays against the bill.  The bill was approved so the bill will move to the House, and they have until Thursday to act before they adjourn for their 2020 session. If the bill is approved by the House and signed by Governor Jay Inslee, it would go into effect on July 1st.

While speaking on the Senate floor Saturday, Senator Wilson said she started receiving emails on this issue shortly after she was first elected to the Legislature in 2014.

“Menstrual products are one of the biggest needs for homeless women”, Wilson said. “Exempting these products from sales taxes would increase access and use, with positive health implications”

Senator Keith Wagoner, R-Sedro-Woolley, said SB5147 is one of the few bills to cut taxes that have come before the Senate this session. “And it’s not just tax relief for women,” he said. “It’s tax relief for families because this involves a family budget and every dollar or cent that families have in their budget to reserve for other things is a good thing.”

States that are not tax free for female menstrual products include AL, AZ, AR, CO, GA, HI, ID, IN, IA, KS, KY, LA, ME, MI, MS, MO, NE, NM, NC, ND, OK, SC, SD, TN, TX, VT, VA, WA, WV, WI, WY.

To learn more about the “Tampon-Tax” and Period Equity’s fight for menstrual equity, visit their website by clicking here.