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Providing for Life Act of 2023

Source: Congress.gov  ·  17,797 words in original text
This bill makes several changes to tax credits, Social Security benefits, and federal programs to support pregnant women, unborn children, parents and families. It expands child tax credits, creates a new parental leave benefit through Social Security, establishes grants for mentoring programs for mothers, and requires states to enforce child support obligations for pregnancy and delivery expenses. ---
- Taxpayers with children and dependents - Pregnant women and mothers - College students who are pregnant - Non-custodial parents (parents without custody of their children) - States and their child support agencies - Employers - Religious organizations providing social services - Public institutions of higher education - Individuals applying for parental leave benefits ---
- The child tax credit increases to $3,500 per qualifying child (or $4,500 for children under age 6) and allows credits for unborn children if a social security number is issued before the tax return due date (Sec. 2, Sec. 3) - A new parental leave benefit allows individuals with sufficient Social Security work credits to receive up to 3 months of benefits based on their Social Security primary insurance amount, with repayment through reductions to future retirement benefits (Sec. 6) - States must establish child support obligations requiring biological fathers to pay at least 50 percent of reasonable out-of-pocket medical expenses for pregnancy and delivery when the mother requests such support (Sec. 9) - Public colleges and universities must inform students about rights, protections and accommodations for pregnant students (excluding abortion services) and establish protocols to meet with students who believe they experienced pregnancy-related discrimination (Sec. 10) - Grants are authorized for community-based maternal mentoring programs that serve eligible mothers and pregnant women, with mentors prohibited from referring or counseling in favor of abortions (Sec. 11) - Religious organizations may apply for and receive federal social services funding on the same basis as nonreligious organizations, and their religious exemptions under federal law are not waived by receipt of such funds (Sec. 12) ---
**Tax Credits:** Families with qualifying children receive larger tax credits. Unborn children can generate tax credits if they receive a social security number before the tax return is filed. **Social Security:** New parents can access up to 3 months of parental leave benefits through Social Security. They must repay the full cost through reductions to their future retirement benefits (up to 60 months of reductions) or through a delayed retirement age. **Child Support:** States must enforce child support for pregnancy and delivery medical expenses, with biological fathers required to pay at least 50 percent of reasonable out-of-pocket costs when mothers request payment. **College Students:** Colleges must inform pregnant students of their rights and protections under Title IX (federal law prohibiting sex discrimination in education). Schools must create a process to address complaints of pregnancy-related discrimination. **Workforce Programs:** States receive grants to provide job training and employment support to non-custodial parents with unpaid child support obligations. **Nutrition Assistance:** States can no longer make cooperation with child support agencies optional—it becomes a requirement for supplemental nutrition assistance program participation. **Maternal Mentoring:** Federal grants fund community mentoring programs for pregnant women and mothers with young children, designed to improve health outcomes and economic self-sufficiency. **Religious Organizations:** Religious groups can compete for federal social services contracts equally with secular organizations and retain their religious character while providing federally funded services. ---
**Qualifying Child:** A dependent under age 18 whose name and social security number are included on a tax return (Sec. 2) **Unborn Child:** An individual of the human species from fertilization until birth or death (Sec. 3) **Eligible Taxpayer** (for unborn child credits): The biological mother or the mother's husband, if a social security number for the mother was issued before the tax return due date (Sec. 3) **Parental Leave Benefit:** Monthly payments up to 3 months selected by the parent, calculated as a percentage of their Social Security primary insurance amount (Sec. 6) **Benefit Period:** The one-year period beginning the month after a child's birth or adoption (Sec. 6) **Qualified Child** (for parental leave): A biological or legally adopted child under age 18 who will live with and be cared for by the parent during the benefit period (Sec. 6) **Eligible Non-Custodial Parent:** An individual obligated to pay child support with unpaid past-due obligations and who has been unemployed or underemployed in the prior 6 months (Sec. 8) **Eligible Mother:** A woman who is pregnant or has primary caregiving responsibilities for a child under age 6 (Sec. 11) **Community-Based Mentoring Relationship:** A relationship with a dedicated mentor or peer support group meeting regularly with an eligible mother to address barriers to care and economic mobility through support services and community resource connections (Sec. 11) **Prohibited Entity:** An entity that performs, induces, refers for, or counsels in favor of abortions, or provides financial support to organizations that conduct such activities (Sec. 11) **Covered Beneficiary:** An individual who applies for or receives services under a federally funded social services program (Sec. 12) ---
- Tax credit changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022 (Sec. 2, Sec. 3) - Adoption tax credit changes apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022 (Sec. 5) - Parental leave benefit applications may be filed after 2024 (Sec. 6) - Child support for pregnancy expenses apply January 1 of the first calendar year beginning after enactment, or later if state legislation is required (Sec. 9) - Workforce development grants begin in fiscal year 2024 (Sec. 8) - Pregnant student rights provisions apply when the law is enacted (Sec. 10) - Maternal mentoring grants authorization for fiscal years 2024 through 2026 (Sec. 11)
Important: This plain English summary was generated by AI and is provided for informational purposes only. It is not legal advice. Always consult the official bill text on Congress.gov or a qualified attorney for legal matters.