Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, right, with State Senator Jamaal Bailey
Yonkers Assemblyman Nader Sayegh’s drive to exempt all diapers from local sales taxes succeeded during the final hours of the Legislative Session when the Assembly voted 146-0 to pass the Sayegh DIAPER Sales Tax Exemption Legislation. Earlier the State Senate approved the legislation 63-0.
Assemblyman Nader Sayegh said: “With inflation impacting family budgets, I passed statewide legislation to exempt diapers from local sales taxes, making them more affordable for families struggling to buy enough diapers for their babies and making incontinence products more affordable for Seniors. Diapers are a necessity and adding a sales tax on top of the purchase price is just wrong. I thank the National Diaper Bank Network and the volunteers from the State’s diaper banks including the Junior League of Central Westchester, for coming to the State Capitol to lobby for passage of my Diaper Act.”
Senate Sponsor Jamaal. T. Bailey said:
“One in three American families struggled to afford diapers even before the pandemic. Diaper need has only increased during the pandemic and New York’s diaper banks are struggling to pay for the supplies themselves. This legislation is critical to addressing diaper need and
alleviating costs for families and diaper banks across the state by exempting adult and children’s diapers from sales and use taxes. Thank you Assemblyman Sayegh for sponsoring and championing in the Assembly, Senate Majority Leader Andrea Stewart-Cousins, Speaker Carl E. Heastie, and the advocates and diaper bank organizations – Every Bottom Covered, the National Diaper Bank Network, CNY Diaper Bank, Junior League of Central Westchester, and Baby Steps Baby Pantry Diaper Bank – for their tireless work on this critically important issue.”
Assembly Speaker Carl Heastie said:
“Diapers are an item essential to the health and wellbeing of our youngest New Yorkers, yet too many families struggle to afford them,” Speaker Carl Heastie said. “By exempting them from local taxes, this legislation will help ease the financial burden on New Yorkers, and make diapers and incontinence products more affordable at a time where we are seeing the cost of necessities rise.”
The National Diaper Bank Network’s Lacey Gero said:
We applaud New York State Assemblyman Nader Sayegh, the primary sponsor of the DIAPER Act, and Senator Jamaal Bailey who sponsored the DIAPER Act in the Senate for passing legislation that will end local sales taxes on diapers. Eliminating this regressive tax will make diapers, a material basic necessity for all babies, more affordable for New York families. It will also relieve the tax burden on numerous nonprofit diaper banks working to support the 1 in 3 families who struggle with diaper need,” said Lacey Gero, policy and coalition coordinator, National Diaper Bank Network. “NDBN member diaper banks throughout the state have worked with elected officials and fellow advocates to make this happen and respectfully request Governor Hochul’s signature on this important bill.”
Michelle Memolil, President of the Junior League of Central Westchester said: “Through the Westchester County Diaper Bank, JLCW has leveraged our resources to yield sustainable impact for people by combatting diaper deprivation for babies, easing the financial burden for families, and increasing access to a basic need. We are proud to add to that positive impact by supporting Assemblyman Sayegh and Senator Bailey in their successful advocacy efforts to eliminate local sales taxes on diapers.”
Raziya Hill of Every Bottom Covered Diaper Bank, Buffalo said:
“Families experiencing diaper need have many hurdles to climb as they strive for self-sufficiency and exempting diapers from local sales tax helps to remove another barrier. This is a small but necessary step that should reinforce that poverty is not a choice, but systemically a result of low-income funding decisions that don’t factor in the cost of living changes every community faces.”
The DIAPER Act now goes to the office of Governor Kathy Hochul for review. Assemblyman Sayegh’s office received no memorandums in opposition to the legislation from county or local government.
