HR 230 — A Resolution designating the week of September 15 through 21, 2025, as "Diaper Need Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.

PRINTER'S NO.   1626

                  THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA



           HOUSE RESOLUTION
              No. 230
                                                 Session of
                                                   2025

     INTRODUCED BY HILL-EVANS, T. DAVIS, MULLINS, PASHINSKI, FREEMAN,
        KHAN, HOHENSTEIN, SANCHEZ, CEPEDA-FREYTIZ, GALLAGHER,
        D. WILLIAMS, MAYES, NEILSON AND O'MARA, MAY 6, 2025

     REFERRED TO COMMITTEE ON STATE GOVERNMENT, MAY 6, 2025


                                  A RESOLUTION
 1   Designating the week of September 15 through 21, 2025, as
 2      "Diaper Need Awareness Week" in Pennsylvania.
 3      WHEREAS, "Diaper Need Awareness Week" brings attention to the
 4   insufficient supply of disposable diapers for children and
 5   incontinent adults of this Commonwealth; and
 6      WHEREAS, The National Diaper Bank Network, a national
 7   nonprofit organization dedicated to ensuring that every baby in
 8   the United States can be clean, healthy and dry, reports that
 9   one in two families suffers from diaper need; and
10      WHEREAS, Access to a reliable supply of clean diapers is a
11   necessity for the health and well-being of infants and toddlers,
12   incontinent adults, their families, child-care providers and
13   health care providers; and
14      WHEREAS, Children and incontinent adults who are living in
15   households with little or no access to diapers could develop
16   significant potential health risks such as severe diaper rash
17   and bacterial and yeast infections; and
 1      WHEREAS, Most public resources, such as food stamps, the
 2   Women, Infants and Children (WIC) program and Medicare, do not
 3   cover the cost of these necessary items; and
 4      WHEREAS, Estimates show that disposable diapers cost as much
 5   as $100 per child per month and incontinence products can cost
 6   as much as $1,000 per year; and
 7      WHEREAS, Approximately 46% of families suffering from diaper
 8   needs have reported cutting down on other expenditures,
 9   including food and utilities, to afford diapers; and
10      WHEREAS, Infants or toddlers can require up to 84 diaper
11   changes per week over three years; and
12      WHEREAS, A supply of diapers is usually a requirement for
13   infants and toddlers to attend and participate in child-care
14   programs, which studies linked to higher education levels; and
15      WHEREAS, One in four parents miss work or school because they
16   cannot afford diapers required for their infants and toddlers to
17   participate in child-care programs, which has a negative impact
18   on the economy; and
19      WHEREAS, Families living in poverty often do not have access
20   to personal washing machines, and most coin-operated laundromats
21   do not allow customers to wash cloth diapers for sanitary
22   reasons; and
23      WHEREAS, Community organizations across this Commonwealth are
24   doing their part to help with this epidemic by hosting diaper
25   donation drives, which are critical in providing these essential
26   materials to working families and incontinent adults in need,
27   and raising awareness about the real implications of a widening
28   diaper supply gap; and
29      WHEREAS, The National Diaper Bank Network is committed to
30   working with community groups and raising awareness of the

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 1   diaper gap in America by building the capacity of community-
 2   based diaper banks to serve families throughout this
 3   Commonwealth; and
 4      WHEREAS, There are more than 240 diaper banks recognized by
 5   the National Diaper Bank Network, distributing more than 150
 6   million diapers annually; and
 7      WHEREAS, This Commonwealth has 10 diaper banks that are
 8   recognized and are active members of the National Diaper Bank
 9   Network, distributing more than 12 million diapers per year to
10   communities across this Commonwealth; and
11      WHEREAS, These diaper banks require community support and
12   donations of diapers and money to allow them to continue to
13   serve our communities; therefore be it
14      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives designate the
15   week of September 15 through 21, 2025, as "Diaper Need Awareness
16   Week" in Pennsylvania; and be it further
17      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives recognize the
18   efforts of Pennsylvania's 10 diaper banks, the National Diaper
19   Bank Network and all community organizations working to address
20   the diaper gap in Pennsylvania; and be it further
21      RESOLVED, That the House of Representatives encourage the
22   residents of this Commonwealth to support community
23   organizations and participate in diaper drives to help improve,
24   enhance and expand access to diapers for our Commonwealth's
25   children and incontinent adults.




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