Sponsors (12)
This is not an official government website.
Copyright © 2026 PLEJ LC. All rights reserved.
Creates a new Office of Baby Assistance inside the Social Security Administration and establishes a recurring "baby bonus" payment for each qualifying child born (or fetal losses meeting a gestational threshold) on or after January 1, 2026. The bonus is $2,000 in 2026 and is indexed for inflation in later years; SSA will accept applications, make payments, handle custody/prioritization rules, prevent fraud, and report recipient data to Congress. Payments are excluded from federal income tax and are not counted as income or resources for any federally funded means‑tested program.
The bill provides meaningful, near-term cash support and administrative clarity for parents around childbirth—helpful for many low-income families—but does so at significant federal cost and with trade-offs in privacy, administrative complexity, and eligibility gaps that could leave some people out.
Parents and families receive a direct $2,000 payment per qualifying child, providing an immediate income boost around childbirth.
Payments are excluded from means-tested program income/resource calculations, so receiving the bonus will not reduce benefits like SNAP or Medicaid for low-income families.
Faster application processing timelines, required annual reports to Congress, and use of standard statutory references aim to reduce delays and improve administrative transparency and oversight.
A universal $2,000-per-child payment program and a new Office within SSA will increase federal spending and budgetary costs borne by taxpayers.
Collecting and storing applicant demographic and eligibility data creates privacy risks and potential exposure if records are mishandled or widely cross-checked.
Creating a new administrative office and requiring state and local agencies to change benefit calculations will add bureaucracy, implementation costs, and complexity.
Introduced November 20, 2025 by Rashida Tlaib · Last progress November 20, 2025