Period products and diapers would be exempt from sales tax in Colorado under a bill working its way through the state House of Representatives.

If passed, House Bill 1055 would expand sales tax exemptions for period products – including tampons, pads, menstrual cups, sponges, sanitary napkins and panty liners – and for adult and youth diapers starting next year. The bill was advanced by a House panel Monday, moving forward for consideration by the appropriations committee.

“At the core, this bill is about dignity,” said bill sponsor Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver. “Eliminating the tax on these essential items not only makes these products more affordable but also helps to destigmatize period products so people in Colorado can feel confident in their bodies.”

Nationally, one in four teenagers reported missing school because they did not have access to period products, according to a 2019 study commissioned by Thinx and PERIOD. Before the COVID-19 pandemic, one in three American families could not afford needed diapers, said the baby gear nonprofit WeeCycle.

Colorado families spend an average of $15 per month on period products per family member who needs them, according to the Women’s Foundation of Colorado. For diapers, families spend approximately $75 per month per child.

If the sales tax exemption was implemented, the state estimates it would save Colorado consumers approximately $9.1 million annually. Supporters oof the measure say this would have a substantial impact on low-income families who are struggling to afford the products.

“I had enough money for tampons or for milk for my kids, I think you know which one I chose,” said Erin Persaud, the Denver representative of I Support the Girls, reading a testimony submitted to the nonprofit. “My baby comes first so I try to make sure she has diapers. Some months, I use a diaper for my period because it lasts the whole time, but only if I have enough.”

Other products currently exempt from sales tax in Colorado are unprepared food, corrective eyeglasses, contact lenses, hearing aids and medications, including Viagra.

If the bill passes, Colorado will follow the lead of cities such as Denver and Aurora which have implemented sales tax exemptions for period products in recent years. More than a dozen states in the United States have already established this tax exemption state-wide.

The bill’s other sponsor, Rep. Susan Lontine, backed a similar bill in 2017 aiming to exempt period products from sales tax. That bill passed the finance committee but was killed in the appropriations committee. However, Lontine said Colorado’s tax situation is in a much better place this year.

“I think we have an opportunity now to really, really help a lot of folks,” Lontine, D-Denver, said. “These are essential products. These aren’t something we get to decide that we don’t use.”

The bill was advanced by the House finance committee in an 8-3 vote. Rep. Adrienne Benavidez, D-Denver, voted against the bill, saying she was concerned about the financial impact it would have on Colorado’s special districts such as the health service districts. Benavidez said she would support the bill if it included an exemption for special districts, which the sponsors are considering.