WASHINGTON, D.C. (WAVY) — More than two dozen U.S. senators, including Virginia’s Tim Kaine, plan to introduce a bill that would make dependents who are currently excluded by the the $2 trillion relief bill from Congress, the CARES Act, count toward families’ stimulus payments during the coronavirus pandemic.
The CARES Act in its current form includes $1,200 stimulus checks for individuals making under $75,000 and $2,400 for married couples making under $150,000 a year. Individuals and couples making up to $99,000 a year and $198,000 a year, respectively, will still receive a payment, but payments go down $5 based on every $100 in extra income.
The act also includes $500 payments per child under the age of 17 for individuals and couples who qualify.
However the CARES Act doesn’t allow caretakers to receive the $500 credit for certain types of dependents, including children older than 16 and disabled adults. This means caretakers won’t receive the credit for older teenagers, college students, older children with disabilities, or other family members who they provide financial support to. These dependents cannot claim the credit themselves, either, according to a news release from Kaine’s office.
Kaine and other senators plan to introduce the All Dependents Count Act to amend the CARES Act and provide relief for families in this situation. It would expand the definition of dependents to allow caretakers to receive the $500 credit for each of their dependents who they provide financial support for, according to the news release.
“Virginians know the coronavirus pandemic is not just a health emergency, it’s an economic emergency too,” Kaine wrote in the news release. “These rebates were meant to help low and middle income families who are struggling and it’s unfair to deny credit for dependents 17 and older, including older children with disabilities and college students. This is a gap that must be closed.”
Read the All Dependents Count Act here.
