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DENVER (KDVR) — State lawmakers have been saying they want to save families more money this year.
One measure designed to save women and families some dollars passed the Colorado House of Representatives Thursday.

Groceries are pretty high for all us of these days, but for women and people with young children, there is always an extra expense of buying menstrual products and diapers. Lawmakers just made a move to lower this cost for everyone in Colorado.

“These products should be free. Period poverty is a real thing,” state Rep. Leslie Herod, D-Denver, said.

According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, around 17 million people in the U.S. suffer from period poverty, lacking access or funds to get menstrual products.

“In the point in time survey, there were about 7,000 folks in the front range area who are living on streets and about a third of those identify as female. So that means every month, roughly 2,000 folks have to figure this out and it’s something that would make an already situation even tougher,” Geoff Davis said.

Davis founded the Colorado-based organization Period Kits. The non-profit seeks to end period poverty by donating free menstrual care items. While homeless outreach is a big part of that, Davis said the issue is far more widespread than people think.

“These are products that are not covered by [federal funds] TANF or SNAP much like diapers. So it makes them even less accessible to folks,” Davis said. “One mom was 28 from Greeley, she had four kids, three kids under three. Her email literally said: I buy diapers every month and I steal tampons. Can you help me?”

If senators follow their colleagues in the House, they will be helping more people afford the products.

“I’m so excited today that we passed a bill that would eliminate taxes on period products as well as diapers and incontinence products. There’s no reason that these items should be taxed in the first place and its time to end it once and for all here in Colorado,” said Herod, who is sponsoring the bill in the House along with Rep. Susan Lontine, D-Jefferson.

While the bill eliminates the state sales tax on the products, localities could choose to keep their taxes on the items intact.

Period Kits has helped more than 1.2 million people through their distributions. Davis said this measure is long overdue.

“The products are free in Scotland and the products are free in New Zealand and I think more and more states are making these products mandatory in the school system. So I think more and more we’re just talking about this.”

This measure is likely to pass, only 13 House Republicans voted against it. Advocates say next, they want every school in Colorado to have free access to the items without applying for grant funding.