Press Room

Contacts: Matt Sande, Legislative Affairs Director, or
Peggy Hamill, State Director
(262) 796-1111 or info@prolifewisconsin.org

Senate Passes Adoption Tax Credit Bill

Early Friday morning the State Senate overwhelmingly approved a bill creating an individual income tax credit for adoption expenses. When added to the existing federal credit, Senate Bill (SB) 408 could provide prospective adoptive families with up to $15,000 for qualified adoption expenses. Passed on a bi-partisan vote of 30-2, the bill is expected to be taken up by the full Assembly early next week.

The costs of adoption are often prohibitive for families in Wisconsin and across the nation. The National Adoption Information Clearinghouse (NAIC) reports that adoption expenses can range from zero to $30,000 depending on the method of adoption. Senate Bill 408, authored by State Senator Tom Reynolds (R-West Allis), creates a nonrefundable individual state income tax credit for qualified adoption expenses (up to $5,000) incurred by an individual who claims the federal credit (up to $10,000). Unused portions of the credit may be carried forward for up to five tax years.

“This is great news for Wisconsin families striving to welcome children into their families through adoption,” said Matt Sande, Pro-Life Wisconsin’s director of legislative affairs. “It’s no exaggeration to say that the fate of SB 408 could financially make or break the decision of many families in Wisconsin to adopt a child. We thank Senator Reynolds for his determination in moving the bill forward.”

Ingrid Schlueter, a program coordinator for Sunshine Adoption, Inc. in Elm Grove, Wis., and founder of the For the Children Adoption Information website, recently testified along with Sande before the Senate Health Committee in support of SB 408. Schlueter and her husband are parents of two adopted children.

“I have spoken with countless other couples over the years who long to make a difference in the life of a child,” said Schlueter. “But the costs of adoption, both domestic and international, often create a chasm that is unbridgeable between children who need families and families who want them so desperately. Undoubtedly, the creation of a state tax-credit would open the door of opportunity for children and families in a new way. Each child that is brought into a loving family represents hope for our society. By passing SB 408, that hope will be greatly strengthened here in Wisconsin.”

Pro-Life Wisconsin is encouraging the Assembly to quickly pass SB 408 before the close of the 2003-04 legislative session. “Promoting the life-saving alternative of adoption is a priority for Pro-Life Wisconsin,” said Sande. “Passing SB 408 would be a wonderful way to end the session.”

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