Education, Achievement, and Opportunity Act
HB2097, titled the Education, Achievement, and Opportunity Act, would amend the Internal Revenue Code to create a refundable federal income tax credit for certain elementary and secondary education expenses paid for each qualifying child. The credit would equal qualified education expenses up to $10,000 per child per year, subject to income-based phaseouts for taxpayers with modified adjusted gross income above $75,000 for single filers and $150,000 for joint filers.
The bill defines qualified education expenses broadly to include tuition and required fees at public, charter, private, parochial, or religious schools, plus up to $1,500 in certain non-tuition costs such as computers, educational software, books, tutoring, special needs services, school-provided transportation fees, and academic testing services. It excludes nonacademic costs such as athletics, uniforms, insurance, student activities, and after-school activities. The bill also coordinates the credit with Coverdell education savings account distributions and would apply to taxable years beginning after enactment.
If enacted, HB2097 would add a new refundable credit, section 36C, to the Internal Revenue Code and make conforming technical amendments to federal tax law and related federal spending references. It would directly affect taxpayers with school-age children by reducing federal income tax liability and potentially generating refunds for eligible households, while also benefiting families using private, parochial, religious, charter, or public schools for qualifying education expenses. The bill would expand the federal tax code’s role in subsidizing K-12 education costs and could reduce federal revenue.
The bill text reflects a strongly pro-school-choice and pro-private-education policy position, emphasizing parental choice and the role of private schools in the education system. However, there is no recorded committee discussion or vote history in the provided materials, so there is no documented legislative debate or measured sentiment from members. Based on the bill’s framing, its sponsors appear supportive of expanding educational options through the tax code.
The main policy contention likely concerns whether federal tax credits should subsidize private and religious schooling, and whether a refundable credit of up to $10,000 per child would disproportionately benefit higher-income families despite the income phaseout. Another likely point of debate is the breadth of eligible expenses and the inclusion of public, charter, private, parochial, and religious schools, which may raise concerns among opponents of school vouchers or tuition tax credits. No specific objections or supporters are recorded in the provided committee materials.