Bill to abolish 'pink tax' in Texas filed for fourth time

AUSTIN, Texas - A bill to abolish the 'pink tax' in Texas is being filed for the fourth time.

A pink tax refers to how women tend to pay more for products that are specifically branded toward women, even though the product is the same or similar than those marketed towards men.

Democratic state Rep. Donna Howard of Austin has been introducing a bill to lift taxes on menstrual hygiene products for three legislative sessions now. Howard filed the bill for the fourth time on Monday, the first day of the legislative filing period, for the new session that begins in January.

If passed, Texas will join 24 other states that don't tax feminine hygiene products.

In August, Gov. Greg Abbott voiced support for removing the taxes on menstrual products after Texas Comptroller Glenn Hegar and state Sen. Joan Huffman, R-Houston, voiced their support from eliminating the "tampon tax".

Other health care necessities, such as medicine and bandages, are exempt from sales tax in Texas. According to the Texas Tribune, advocates have called for the repeal of the tax, arguing that menstrual products should be classified as "wound care dressings," which prevent bacterial infections and "maintain a moist or dry wound environment."

Given that wound dressings like Band-Aids are exempt from sales tax, supporters of repealing the sales tax on menstrual products argue that taxing them discriminates on the basis of sex.