Reps Watson Coleman and Delauro Reintroduce the Improving Diaper Affordability Act of 2025
Today, Congresswomen Bonnie Watson Coleman (NJ-12) and Rosa DeLauro (CT-03) announced the reintroduction of the bipartisan Improving Diaper Affordability Act of 2025 to make the purchase of diapers tax-free.
“Diapers are essential, not a luxury, and families everywhere are struggling to afford them,” said Congresswoman Watson Coleman. “This legislation is a simple way to make sure that families aren’t stretching their stock and waiting to change a baby, which can lead to rashes and infections. We have to do more on every front to support working families trying to make ends meet – this is one way we can do that.”
The Improving Diaper Affordability Act would also make the purchase of diapers reimbursable through Health Savings Accounts (HSAs), giving families even more flexibility and savings when buying them.
“I am proud to stand once again with my dear friend and tireless champion for America’s children, Congresswoman Bonnie Watson Coleman, as we introduce the Improving Diaper Affordability Act,”said Congresswoman DeLauro. “It is shameful that in 2025, families are still facing impossible choices because of the cost of living. The cost of diapers, a basic necessity, remains too high for many families. In Connecticut, we have led by example, exempting diapers from sales tax since 2018. Now it is time for Congress to follow suit and support families nationwide. We can and must do better for our babies and their families.”
Nearly half of all families with children under the age of four struggle to provide diapers for their children, a jump from one in three families pre-pandemic. What’s more, low-income families spend 2.6 times more of their income on diaper costs compared to a family of four making a median income. Each of these statistics demonstrates a need that existed before COVID-19 and has only grown since, with diaper banks nationwide reporting two- to threefold increases in need.
The Improving Diaper Affordability Act is endorsed by the National Diaper Bank Network, MomsRising, and The Makers Place.
“Providing clean diapers for a child is a major monthly expense for all young families, and particularly those earning low-wages and/or living in poverty,” said Joanne Samuel Goldblum, CEO of the National Diaper Bank Network. “Every penny counts when money is tight, which is why NDBN and our more than 245 members nationwide have long advocated for the elimination of all sales taxes imposed on diapers, a basic necessity all children require to thrive. Working parents cannot leave their child in child care and go to work without providing a weekly supply of diapers. Missing work means lost wages. Small things like diapers have a big impact on children, families, and communities.”
“Nearly half of parents struggle to afford enough diapers to keep their babies clean and healthy, and as the cost of living continues to skyrocket, this crisis will only grow more dire. No parent should ever be forced to delay diaper changes or ration their supply, which puts infants at risk of rashes, open sores, urinary tract infections, and more,” said Elyssa Schmier, Vice President of Government Relations and National Budget at MomsRising. “When parents must miss work or school because they cannot afford enough diapers to drop off at their baby's child care program, it harms families’ economic security and perpetuates a harrowing cycle. Diaper need is a public health emergency, and we must do more to address it. This bill would be a huge win for babies, parents, and communities, and moms want Congress to pass it without delay.”
“Our direct service diaper bank is in close contact with community members who would benefit most from more affordable diapers. The cost of diapers prevents low-income families from purchasing the amount they need,” says Callie Crowder, Executive Director of The Maker’s Place, a neighborhood center in Trenton, NJ. “Diaper banks around the country like ours try their best to fill the shortage gap for families with supplemental supplies of diapers each month. Post-COVID-19, we’ve seen a 300% increase in diaper distribution rates of our Diaper Depot program. Diaper affordability is a public health issue affecting the most vulnerable of our population. An opportunity to lighten the financial burden of families struggling to provide for their basic necessities should be seized.”
The Improving Diaper Affordability Act is cosponsored by Reps. Rosa DeLauro (CT-03), Eleanor Holmes Norton (DC-At Large), Rashida Tlaib (MI-12), Danny Davis (IL-07), Valerie Foushee (NC-04), Jonathan Jackson (IL-01), Hank Johnson (GA-04), Jerry Nadler (NY-12), Debbie Dingell (MI-06), Andre Carson (IN-07), Sheila Cherfilus-McCormick (FL-20), April McClain Delaney (MD-06), Morgan McGarvey (KY-02), Sarah Elfreth (MD-03), and Ryan MacKenzie (PA-07).
To view the text of the Improving Diaper Affordability Act, click here.