California bill would end sales tax on breast pumps

California residents may soon be able to purchase breast pumps and related supplies tax-free under a proposal that advocates say, if passed, could inspire exemption in other states.

The legislation, which lawmakers are still reviewing, would end the sales tax California collects on breast pumps, breast pads, breast milk storage bags, and other relevant accessories—a practice that’s common for some other medical devices like wheelchairs and crutches.

Backers of the bill, like virtual breastfeeding support organization SimpliFed founder and CEO Andrea Ippolito, said it would make it easier for families to afford costly breastfeeding equipment, which may not always be fully covered by insurers despite federal coverage requirements set by the Affordable Care Act.

“Parents are forced to pay out of pocket,” she said. “This is, depending on what that sales tax looks like, a huge, huge cost for families.”

California’s Department of Tax and Fee Administration estimated that the legislation would result in $7.1 million in state tax revenue losses and an additional $8.2 million in local tax revenue losses between 2024 and 2025.

Ippolito called the sales tax on breast pumps “another example where women’s health is left behind.” She argued there needs to be improved parity when it comes to insurance coverage for medical devices as well as sales tax exemptions for baby feeding options (infant formula, for example, is already exempt in most states).

Given the recent infant formula shortages, Ippolito added, it’s more important than ever to support parents when it comes to feeding their babies.

Fewer than a dozen states completely exempt breast pumps and supplies from sales tax, according to Parity for Pumps, a national advocacy campaign. At the time of writing, these states are: Connecticut, Illinois, Louisiana, Maryland, Minnesota, Oklahoma, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, New York, and Rhode Island. Other states, like Texas and Florida, have conditional exemptions for devices, such as products bought with a prescription.

Ippolito said that’s why it’s important for a large state like California to end its sales tax on breast pumps.

“People look to California as a major, major economic force,” she said. “If California takes this position, we know that other states will follow.”