Missouri House Committees Advance Child Care Benefits Bill
House Bill 1730: Elevating Support for Food Pantries
Missouri House committees have recently moved forward with bills supporting child tax benefits programs.
Last week, the Special Committee on Public Policy unanimously approved House Bill 1730 (HB 1730) with a 6-0 vote. This legislation aims to raise the cap on a program that provides tax credits to individuals making donations to food pantries. Initiated in 2013, the program currently allows taxpayers who contribute to food-related charities to deduct half of their donation amount from state taxes, with the cap set at $1.75 million. Representative Phil Amato, the bill’s sponsor, noted that recent donations have exceeded this cap, resulting in penalties for donors. Amato’s proposed changes include increasing the cap to $3 million annually and extending the program’s expiration date from the end of 2026 to the end of 2030.
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Unanimous Committee Support for Child Care Benefits Extension
Concurrently, the Ways and Means Committee deliberated on a bill last week addressing the extension of a diaper bank tax credit established in 2018. Presently, Missouri taxpayers can claim up to half of their donations to diaper banks against their state tax liability, with a maximum limit of $50,000. However, this tax credit is slated to expire on August 28 of the current year. House Bill 2384 (HB 2384), sponsored by Representative Mark Sharp, seeks to prolong the tax credit until August 2030. Sharp underscored the substantial impact of limited access to diapers on families, affecting infant health and impeding parents’ ability to secure childcare and employment.
The committee unanimously voted 9-0 to advance the legislation, acknowledging the importance of ensuring ongoing access to diapers for families in need.