H-0804.1  _______________________________________________

                     HOUSE JOINT MEMORIAL 4005

          _______________________________________________

State of Washington      57th Legislature     2001 Regular Session

By Representatives Roach, Kirby, Marine, Miloscia, Cairnes, Bush, Anderson, Morell, Lambert, Pennington, Casada and Ogden

Read first time 02/02/2001.  Referred to Committee on Children & Family Services.

Requesting that the dependent care tax credit be expanded to include parents who stay at home to care for children.

    TO THE HONORABLE GEORGE W. BUSH, PRESIDENT OF THE UNITED STATES, AND TO THE PRESIDENT OF THE SENATE AND THE SPEAKER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES, AND TO THE SENATE AND HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE UNITED STATES, IN CONGRESS ASSEMBLED:

    We, your Memorialists, the Senate and House of Representatives of the State of Washington, in legislative session assembled, respectfully represent and petition as follows:

    WHEREAS, The federal dependent care tax credit provides much needed tax relief for the working families who place their children in commercial day care; and

    WHEREAS, Parents who choose to stay at home full time to raise their young children are not eligible for the federal dependent care tax credit; and

    WHEREAS, Establishing a dependent care tax credit that provides assistance to stay-at-home parents would not affect the current dependent care tax credits for families in which both parents work; and

    WHEREAS, Providing all day child care is expensive whether it is provided in the home or by a traditional day-care operator; and

    WHEREAS, The President and Congress are discussing possible tax cuts to provide tax relief to families in order to help them meet their needs;

    NOW, THEREFORE, Your Memorialists respectfully pray that the United States President and Congress expand the existing dependent care tax credit to include a parent who stays at home to care for his or her children.

    BE IT RESOLVED, That copies of this Memorial be immediately transmitted to the Honorable George W. Bush, President of the United States, the President of the United States Senate, the Speaker of the House of Representatives, and each member of Congress from the State of Washington.

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