A bill which would exempt the sale of baby products from the New Jersey sales tax was unanimously approved by the Senate Health, Human Services, and Senior Citizens Committee.

“As inflation continues to be a struggle for families across New Jersey, I am pleased that my first bill to advance out of committee will allow parents, guardians, and families to keep more money in their pockets,” Senator Owen Henry, whose district includes Jackson, said in a statement. “This is a commonsense change to the State sales tax law as many other critical care items are already exempt from the tax.”

“The joy of welcoming a child for new parents can be stressful and expensive, as families work to make ends meet during the State’s affordability crisis,” said Senator Corrado, who co-sponsored the bill along with Henry. “Exempting baby necessities from the state sales tax is the least we can do to make life a little easier for new parents and families across the Garden State.”

Henry and Corrado’s bill would provide an exemption from the sales and use tax for the sale of cribs, child restraint systems, nursing bottles, and strollers.

According to the bill, a “child restraint system” is defined as any device that is designed to protect, hold, or restrain an infant while riding in a motor vehicle to prevent or minimize injury and conforms with federal motor vehicle safety standards.

The bill also defines a “crib” as a bed or containment designed to accommodate an infant and a “stroller” as a non-motorized, wheeled vehicle designed to push or otherwise transport an infant including, but not limited to, a carriage, folding-type umbrella stroller, or full-size stroller.

New Jersey exempted diapers and baby formula from the state sales tax decades ago, but car seats, bottles, cribs and strollers are currently subject to the 6.625% tax.

Separately, as reported here earlier this week, the state’s sales tax will not be increased under an agreement reached between Governor Murphy and legislative leaders.