Public
Policy

Recent News and
Pending Legislation

November 2012

Save the Adoption Tax Credit

There are now bills in both the House (HR 4373) and the Senate (S 3616) that would accomplish the goal of an adoption tax credit that is inclusive, flat for special needs adoptions, refundable, and permanent. We encourage you to ask your Representative to co-sponsor HR 4373 and both your Senators to co-sponsor S 3616.

Please note that the adoption tax credit is likely to be included in a package of other tax credits, which we expect to be considered by Congress after the election in November. Having more members of Congress signed on as co-sponsors of these bills will help ensure an inclusive, flat, refundable, and permanent adoption tax credit is part of the broader tax negotiation.

House Bill

On April 17, Rep. Bruce Braley (D-IA) introduced the Making Adoption Affordable Act (HR 4373). (Read Rep. Braley’s press release) This is the only pending House bill that would create an adoption tax credit that would meet NACAC's goals. The bill would set the adoption tax credit at $13,360 and make it refundable and permanent. The bill is continually gaining bipartisan co-sponsors. (View the list of co-sponsors)

If your member of Congress is not a co-sponsor (click on the link above to check), we encourage you to ask your member of the House of Representatives to become a co-sponsor of HR 4373.

Senate Bill

On September 21, Senators Landrieu (D-LA), Blunt (R-MO), Hutchison (R-TX), and Cardin (D-MD) introduced S. 3616. This Senate bill meets all of the goals of the Adoption Tax Credit Working Group to make the adoption tax credit inclusive, flat for special needs adoptions, refundable, and permanent. (Read Senator Landrieu’s press release)

We encourage you to ask your Representative and both Senators to support H.R. 4373/S. 3616 by:

• Calling the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at 202-224-3121 and ask for your Representative's office. Tell your representative's staff that you are a constituent and you want them to pass H.R. 4373. Call the U.S. Capitol Switchboard at (202) 224-3121 and ask for your first Senator’s office. Tell the Senator's staff that you are a constituent and you want them to pass S. 3616.
• Call the switchboard again and ask for your other Senator. Tell the Senator's staff that you are a constituent and you want them to pass S. 3616.

You can also e-mail your Representative by visiting http://house.gov/ (then enter your zip code in the top right corner and follow the link to the respresentative's web site).You can find and e-mail your Senator at http://www.senate.gov/general/contact_information/senators_cfm.cfm

Please visit the Advocate section of the Save the Adoption Tax Credit for more information about what you can do.