What's happening
This bill expands the Empire State child credit to include children under age four and doubles the credit amount for them.
Why it matters
Expanding eligibility to children under four means more families—especially those with infants and toddlers—will receive financial support during a period when childcare costs are highest and parental leave may be unpaid or limited.
Doubling the credit for families with children under four (from 33% to 66% of the federal child tax credit) provides significant extra help to families with the youngest children, potentially reducing child poverty and economic stress during early childhood.
By aligning the definition of a qualifying child with federal rules but removing the age-four minimum, the bill streamlines the process for families already claiming the federal credit, reducing confusion and administrative burdens.
This change could have broader impacts on early childhood development, as increased family income in a child’s first years is linked to better long-term educational and health outcomes.
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Who cares
Headline styles
Expand Child Tax Credit
Plain English, a few words. Used as the page title.
Sponsors
2 Co-sponsors
History
- Referred to budget and revenue
- Referred to budget and revenue
Companion bill
The same bill in the other chamber. A bill becomes law when one version passes both houses and the governor signs it, so either number can carry it.
Expand Child Tax Credit
In Assembly Committee · Ways And Means · Sponsor Ellen C. Jaffee
Full text
1 pageUnderlined is new[Struck] is removedOfficial text on nysenate.gov ↗
STATE OF NEW YORK
4633
2019-2020 Regular Sessions
IN SENATE
March 18, 2019
Introduced by Sen. MONTGOMERY -- read twice and ordered printed, and when printed to be committed to the Committee on Budget and Revenue
AN ACT to amend the tax law, in relation to expanding the empire state child credit to cover children under age four, and doubling the credit for young children
The People of the State of New York, represented in Senate and Assembly, do enact as follows:
Section 1. Paragraph 1 of subsection (c-1) of section 606 of the tax law, as amended by section 1 of part P of chapter 59 of the laws of 2018, is amended to read as follows:
(1) A resident taxpayer shall be allowed a credit as provided herein equal to the greater of one hundred dollars times the number of qualifying children of the taxpayer or the applicable percentage of the child tax credit allowed the taxpayer under section twenty-four of the internal revenue code for the same taxable year for each qualifying child. Provided, however, in the case of a taxpayer whose federal adjusted gross income exceeds the applicable threshold amount set forth by section 24(b)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code, the credit shall only be equal to the applicable percentage of the child tax credit allowed the taxpayer under section 24 of the Internal Revenue Code for each qualifying child. For the purposes of this subsection, a qualifying child shall be a child who meets the definition of qualified child under section 24(c) of the internal revenue code [and is at least four years of age]. The applicable percentage shall be thirty-three percent or sixty-six percent for children under age four beginning in taxable year 2020. For purposes of this subsection, any reference to section 24 of the Internal Revenue Code shall be a reference to such section as it existed immediately prior to the enactment of Public Law 115-97.
§ 2. This act shall take effect April 1, 2020.
EXPLANATION--Matter in italics (underscored) is new; matter in brackets
[ ] is old law to be omitted.
LBD02783-01-9
Reflowed for reading: line numbers and page breaks removed. Cite the official text.
Sponsor's memo
Title of bill
An act to amend the tax law, in relation to expanding the empire state child credit to cover children under age four, and doubling the credit for young children
Purpose or general idea of bill
This bill would ensure that families with children under the age of four are eligible to receive the empire state child credit.
Summary of specific provisions
Section one of the bill amends Section 606 of the tax law by removing the requirement that children be over the age of four in order for fami- lies with children under the age of four to qualify for the empire state child credit and doubles that credit to 66 percent for those children included in this bill.
Section two of the bill sets for the effective date.
Justification
New York State is a national leader in offering a refundable child tax credit. However, the state credit contains a significant flaw; it excludes children under age four- the very group that is most severely impacted by poverty, and would most benefit from receiving a credit. New York should correct this gap in the law, and double the credit for its youngest children. This would provide low- and moderate-income working families with very young children with a credit of up to $660 in income per year per young child, which could yield substantial benefits for thousands of the state's youngest residents, particularly those living in poverty or near poverty.
Prior legislative history
5/21/18 Referred to Ways and Means
Fiscal implications
To be determined.
Effective date
April 1, 2020
Summaries, headlines and scores are AI-generated from the official bill text. How we score bills. Source: NYS Open Legislation.