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House Bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group Holds Meeting on Fourth Legislative Framework Pillar

The meeting focused on the 45S tax credit and improving it for business owners

Washington, May 3, 2024

WASHINGTON, D.C. – This week, members of the bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group, co-chaired by Representatives Chrissy Houlahan (D-PA) and Stephanie Bice (R-OK), held a meeting on their legislative framework’s fourth pillar, the 45S tax credit, and ways to improve it particularly for small businesses. The 45S tax credit is used by employers who provide paid family and medical leave to their employees. This tax credit is the fourth pillar of the group’s legislative framework, which was released earlier this year.

 

"Modernizing the 45S tax credit is a great step in the right direction of ensuring more paid leave for more people," said co-chair Houlahan. "We know that businesses — especially small businesses — deserve to get tax relief for providing such an important benefit to their employees. Unfortunately, this tax credit is not being used as much as initially intended, so we must improve it to ensure our business owners can benefit from it. This conversation was crucial as we prepare for our next legislative steps."

 

Key Attendees:  

  • Christa Haas Bierma, Principal at Ernst & Young
  • Clare Diefenbach, Legislation Counsel at the Joint Committee on Taxation 
  • Sally Kwak, Senior Economist at the Joint Committee on Taxation (JCT)
  • Sarah Montgomery, Assistant Vice President of Paid Family & Medical Leave Implementation at the American Council of Life Insurers
  • Mandana Parsazad, Vice President of Tax Policy at the American Council of Life Insurers
  • Steven Perrotta, Director of Public Policy at the Society of Human Resource Management
  • Justis Antonioli, Research Analyst at the Bipartisan Policy Center

 

In addition to Co-Chairs Houlahan and Bice, the evenly divided House group includes Representatives Colin Allred (D-TX), Mariannette Miller-Meeks, M.D. (R-IA), Haley Stevens (D-MI), and Julia Letlow (R-LA).

 

The House bipartisan Paid Family Leave Working Group was launched in January of 2023 to explore federal paid family leave policies. Supported by the Bipartisan Policy Center and other organizations, the working group’s mission is to bring more paid leave to more Americans through enduring policy solutions.

 

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