Congress expands child tax credit to lowest-earning working families
H.R. 10282 — Stronger Start for Working Families Act · Filed by Carol Miller (R-WV) · 3 cosponsors · Introduced Sep 3, 2026 · Referred to committee
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What it does
This bill lowers the earned income threshold for the refundable child tax credit from $3,000 to $1, effective for tax years beginning after December 31, 2025. The change allows families with virtually any earned income to claim the refundable portion of the child tax credit, removing a barrier that previously excluded the lowest-earning working families. It also repeals a conforming provision in the tax code.
Why we flagged it
The bill's sole operative mechanism is a downward adjustment of an income eligibility threshold for an existing refundable tax credit, broadening access to the lowest-earning working families without changing the credit amount or structure.
What the text implies
- The $1 threshold is effectively a floor of zero — any family with any earned income (including self-employment) becomes eligible, removing the prior $3,000 cliff that created a work-disincentive zone.
- Repealing IRC §24(h)(6) removes a conforming provision; without seeing that provision's text, the full scope of the conforming change cannot be assessed, though it is likely technical alignment with the threshold change.
- The effective date (tax years after Dec 31, 2025) means the change applies to 2026 tax returns filed in 2027, giving families a full year's notice.
Section numbers refer to the bill text the analysis read — linked under Primary records below.
Who it affects
The bill expands tax relief to the lowest-earning working families by removing an income floor that previously blocked them from claiming the refundable child tax credit. Families with minimal earned income now qualify, directly increasing disposable income for households most likely to spend it on basic needs.
Who stands to gain
- working families with earned income below $3,000 annually
- households with children in the lowest income brackets
Named in the bill
Internal Revenue Code of 1986, Section 24 (child tax credit), House Committee on Ways and Means
Where it stands
3 cosponsors: 2 Democrats, 1 Republicans.
- Sep 3, 2026 — Introduced · Congress.gov: “Introduced in House”
- Sep 3, 2026 — Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means · Congress.gov: “Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means”
Dates and quoted wording are Congress.gov's action record; the timeline shows status changes, not every procedural step.
How this was measured
Analysis — Quorum's AI read the bill text published by Congress.gov (474 characters) on Sep 5, 2026. Section numbers in the findings refer to that text, linked below; transparency and hidden-provision scores are compared against the median of 16,222 analysed bills.
Status and sponsors — Congress.gov's bill record — actions, committee referrals and cosponsors — loaded nightly. The timeline shows status changes, not every procedural action.
As of — page rendered 2026-10-20.
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