S.690: American Family Act of 2019

Overview

S. 690 would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the child tax credit (CTC), and make it fully refundable.

This bill would expand the tax credit to pay:
• $3,000 per year, or $250 per month, per child ages 6 to 18; and
• $3,600 per year, or $300 per month, per child ages 0 to 5.

As it stands, to receive the full refundable credit, a family must make approximately $12,000 annually. The American Family Act would ensure that anyone, even families with no income, would receive a full $3,000 or $3,600 tax credit per child each year. The credit would be distributed monthly so it would act as added income and help families’ budget. For higher-income families ($130,000+), the credit would start to phase out.

H.R. 1560 is the companion legislation in the House

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Talking Points

  • By raising the value of the EITC and making it refundable, this bill would lift four million children out of poverty
  • The current structure of the CTC gives fewer benefits to children from low-income families.
  • Eliminating the minimum tax threshold would make the CTC more equitable.

Our Stance

Support

Priority

Medium

Bill Number

S.690

Date Introduced

March 06, 2019

Committee

Senate Finance Committee

Bill Status

Introduced or Prefiled