Brittany Pettersen (D-CO)
Improving Retirement Security for Family Caregivers Act of 2026
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See all 3 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Improving Retirement Security for Family Caregivers Act of 2026," proposes amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. The goal is to allow certain family caregivers to contribute to a Roth IRA. It specifically targets individuals who serve as caregivers but have limited paid employment. The changes would apply to taxable years beginning after December 31, 2026.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +7
Would women be better off under this?
Women disproportionately perform unpaid caregiving roles and will benefit significantly from this access.
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Provides a path to retirement savings for those who cannot work full-time due to caregiving duties.
- Scored +5
Would people in middle age be better off under this?
Many middle-aged adults act as caregivers for both children and elderly parents.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Retirement Security for Caregivers: The bill would allow "qualified family caregivers" to contribute to a Roth IRA (Section 2, paragraph (a)(7)(A)). This is positive because it provides a way for people who are providing unpaid care to build retirement savings.
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Support for Unpaid Caregivers: The bill defines a "family caregiver" as an unpaid family member, foster parent, or other unpaid adult providing care for a child or an adult with special needs/elderly adults (Section 2, paragraph (a)(7)(B)(ii)). This recognizes the work of those providing in-home care, monitoring, or treatment.
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Recognition of Caregiving Tasks: The bill explicitly includes various tasks such as assistance with bathing, grooming, food preparation, and medication management as caregiving hours (Section 2, paragraph (a)(7)(B)(iii)). This ensures that the actual labor involved in caregiving is counted toward the required hours.
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- Strict Employment and Hour Requirements: To be considered a "qualified family caregiver," an individual must have completed at least 500 hours of caregiving but fewer than 500 hours of paid employment (Section 2, paragraph (a)(7)(B)(i)). This could be a burden for those who do not meet these specific hour thresholds.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — Women disproportionately perform unpaid caregiving roles and will benefit significantly from this access. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Provides a path to retirement savings for those who cannot work full-time due to caregiving duties. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Many middle-aged adults act as caregivers for both children and elderly parents. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Allows middle-class caregivers to maintain retirement growth while providing unpaid care. Would men be better off under this? — Beneficial for men who are also acting as qualified family caregivers. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — Beneficial for seniors who are caregivers for other seniors or spouse. Would children be better off under this? — Indirectly benefits children by improving the long-term financial stability of their caregivers.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this expand the rights of people with disabilities? — Provides retirement savings opportunities for those caring for adults with special needs. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Helps prevent long-term poverty for unpaid caregivers by enabling retirement savings.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this cut taxes for middle-income families? — Allows more individuals to use tax-advantaged retirement accounts, providing a modest tax benefit for retirement savings.
- 7/21/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/24/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/14/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Sharice DavidsDemocrat · Kansas
Joe NeguseDemocrat · Colorado
Maria SalazarRepublican · Florida