Two Ohio Republican state representatives have introduced legislation to ease the financial burden on Ohio families raising children.
House Bill (HB) 118, known as the Baby Products Tax Exemption Bill, sponsored by State Representatives Nick Santucci (R-Howland Twp.) and Melanie Miller (R-City of Ashland), aims to exempt certain baby products from the sales and use tax.
According to Miller, the legislation tries to recognize the challenges that families in Ohio face raising children and to alleviate some of the financial challenges.
“The Baby Products Tax Exemption Bill recognizes the challenges Ohio families face in raising children and aims to alleviate their financial burden. By providing tax exemptions for essential baby products, we hope to encourage people to stay in Ohio as we work to invest in our families,” Miller said.
The measure suggests exempting some baby products from sales and use taxes, including diapers for children, car seats, cribs, strollers, baby carriers, and baby monitors. The exemption will lessen the cost of raising children for Ohio families. Additionally, by removing the sales tax on these goods, Ohio families would have easier access to their kids’ health and well-being necessities.
Miller (pictured above, left) further points out that at a time when taxes and inflation have been a burden on Ohioans, the law is a step in the right direction toward helping Ohio families and enhancing the lives of young children.
According to Santucci, this pro-family legislation will help make Ohio the best state in the nation to raise a family.
“I want to make Ohio the number one state in America to raise a family. This pro-family bill will help keep young families in Ohio and reduce costs for parents hammered by inflation over the past two years,” Santucci (pictured above, right) said.
The legislation has nine cosponsors in the Ohio House and is under review in the House Ways and Means Committee. It has not yet had any hearings.
State Senator Tim Schaffer (R-Lancaster) has introduced a companion bill Senate Bill (SB) 39, which also aims to accomplish the same exemptions as in HB 118.
Four hearings for the Senate bill have already taken place without any testimony from opponents. Organizations like the Ohio Association of Action Agencies and the American Academy of Pediatrics have endorsed it.
“As you know, the costs associated with raising a child are ever increasing and parents are doing everything they can to provide for their children and keep them safe and healthy. By exempting baby products from the state sales tax, we can lower the cost of diapers and wipes, car and booster seats, baby carriers, strollers, cribs, and baby monitors. This is a meaningful action we can take to support parents and caregivers in Ohio,” Melissa Wervey Arnold, CEO of the Ohio Chapter of the American Academy of Pediatrics, said.
SB 39 is currently under review in the Senate Ways and Means Committee.
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Hannah Poling is a lead reporter at The Ohio Star and The Star News Network. Follow Hannah on Twitter @HannahPoling1. Email tips to [email protected]
Photo “Nick Santucci” by The Ohio House of Representatives. Photo “Melanie Miller” by Melanie Miller. Background Photo “Family” by Jonathan Borba.
