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Committee hears proposal to raise Minnesota child tax credit by $200 per child
Summary
The House Taxes Committee heard testimony supporting a $200 increase to Minnesota's child tax credit (HF 4621), citing family economic hardship and evidence on child outcomes; Representative Ream moved and the committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the 2026 omnibus tax bill.
The House Taxes Committee on April 7 considered House File 4621, a bill to raise the Minnesota Child Tax Credit from $1,800 to $2,000 per qualifying child beginning in tax year 2026. Representative Ream introduced the proposal and moved that HF 4621 be laid over for possible inclusion in the 2026 omnibus tax bill; the motion was renewed and the bill was laid over.
Supporters—including Nan Madden, director of the Minnesota Budget Project, and Alexander Fitzsimmons, senior policy director at the Children’s Defense Fund, Minnesota—urged the committee to approve the increase. Madden said the credit reduces economic hardship and narrows disparities, particularly for rural children and children of color, and noted state outreach efforts have achieved high participation among eligible families. Fitzsimmons described the increase as “an evidence‑based investment” that helps families afford basics such as shoes, food and school supplies and that greater family income is linked to improved long‑term outcomes for children.
Representative Green summarized the current structure: the refundable Minnesota Child Tax Credit is available for qualifying children ages 17 and under, is administered jointly with the state Working Family Credit, and phases out as adjusted gross income rises (phase‑out and full phase‑out thresholds were described during the hearing). HF 4621 would increase the per‑child amount from $1,800 to $2,000 and take effect for tax year 2026.
Representative Ream cited a letter from Minnesota Legal Aid included in committee packets and pointed to rising costs for food, diapers and fuel and growing demand at food shelves as reasons to strengthen the credit. No formal opposition was recorded during committee testimony on HF 4621. The committee laid the bill over for possible inclusion in the omnibus tax bill, with no roll‑call tally recorded on the motion.
The committee’s next procedural step will be consideration of the bill for inclusion in the larger tax omnibus package; no final enactment occurred at the hearing.
