Arkansas Introduces a Bill to Exempt Breast Pump Supplies From Sales Taxes

Published in Women's Health on March 20, 2023

Ask your Arkansas legislators to support HB 1364 (Clowney) and pass this legislation exempting breast pumps, breast pump collection and storage supplies, breast pump kits, and breast pads from state sales tax.

In Arkansas, mothers who pump breast milk are required to pay sales tax when they buy their equipment. Breast pumps are basic necessities for breastfeeding mothers, and taxing pumps limits access to breastfeeding by making the product more expensive.

And while insurance coverage is an option for some, it does not solve the problem. Many individuals have to buy pumps outside of insurance, out of pocket, and are subject to tax. For those covered by insurance, the tax cost still impacts them as sales tax increases the cost to supply pumps on the insurance market, leaving parents with fewer choices despite scientific evidence that breastfeeding fosters infant and maternal health. If insurance is used to help subsidize a premium breast pump model, the parents and the home medical equipment provider are still required to pay their respective taxes.

Eliminating this tax is one step Arkansas can take to improve access to breastfeeding for women at all socioeconomic levels, and it’s a solution that is both simple and cost-effective.

A pre-written message is included on this page; you are encouraged to add information to that message about your company’s work providing Arkansas mothers with breast pumps or purchasing a pump within the state.  Please also share this link with your colleagues and contacts and ask them to take action.

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