A bill by California State Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez of San Diego to provide a monthly $50 diaper voucher to parents in the CalWORKs welfare-to-work program was approved by the Assembly Appropriations Committee Thursday.
A second bill put forth by Gonzalez would exempt diapers from California sales tax.
Parents enrolled in CalWorks who qualify for the childcare benefit would receive a $50 supplement per baby.
“With Medi-Cal covering half of all births and wages struggling to keep up with the cost of living, we must continue to strengthen California's commitment to hard-working parents,” said Gonzalez. “Diapers are a core necessity for babies and toddlers, and making sure they’re affordable is a smart investment to support families working hard to get on track and help their children succeed.”
Lack of affordable diapers is an impediment to accessing available child care options, which in turn can obstruct a woman’s ability to seek work, she added.
Seven states already exempt diapers from sales tax, including Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and Vermont.
Both bills will be considered by the full Assembly next week.
