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 Several other states have already enacted such exemptions as a
movement builds against a tax that critics say unjustly targets
women.
The New York State Senate on Wednesday unanimously passed the bill,
which exempts feminine hygiene products like sanitary napkins,
tampons, and panty liners from the state's sales and compensating
use tax. The State Assembly previously approved the measure.
"Repealing this regressive and unfair tax on women is a matter of
social and economic justice," Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo said
in a statement on Wednesday. "I look forward to signing it into
law."
The bill's supporters argued that menstrual products should be
treated like other necessities, including healthcare items and
medicines, which are already exempt from the taxes.
"There are many issues that simply transcend politics and a
unanimous vote in both houses tells you that this is certainly one
of them," the bill's sponsor, Republican state Senator Susan Serino
said in a statement.
"Moving this legislation forward is a win for consumers and it’s a
win for women who have largely shouldered the burden of the tax for
generations," she added.
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Five other states - Maryland, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, Minnesota
and New Jersey - already exempt feminine hygiene products from sales
taxes.
Ten states, including California, are considering legislation to do
so as well.
(Reporting by Curtis Skinner in San Francisco; Editing by Sharon
Bernstein and Peter Cooney)
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