Rep. Panetta’s SEED Act to Support Early Childhood Educators Signed Into Law

Washington, D.C. – United States Representative Jimmy Panetta (CA-19) announced that his bipartisan, bicameral Supporting Early-Childhood Educators’ Deductions (SEED) Act was signed into law. The new law will ensure early childhood educators can claim the same federal tax deduction currently available to K-12 teachers.

“I’m proud that our bipartisan, bicameral SEED Act has been signed into law, delivering long-overdue tax relief to early childhood educators,” said Rep. Panetta. “Pre-K teachers routinely dip into their own pockets to purchase classroom supplies, but until now, they were denied the same educator expense deduction available to K-12 teachers. This new law closes that gap and recognizes the essential role early childhood educators play in giving our youngest learners a strong start.”

Reps. Brian Fitzpatrick (PA-01), Maggie Goodlander (NH-02), and David Valadao (CA-22) co-led the legislation in the House, and Senators Michael Bennet (D-CO) and Susan Collins (R-ME) led companion legislation in the U.S. Senate.

Research shows that educators spend an average of $895 annually on supplies for their students. Yet, until the SEED Act became law, early childhood educators could not deduct those out-of-pocket expenses. The SEED Act will correct this and provide tax relief to the teachers working with America’s youngest learners.

The SEED Act will expand the above-the-line $350 educator expense deduction, established for K-12 teachers in 2002, to also include pre-K and early childhood educators. This deduction helps offset the hundreds of dollars teachers spend out of their own pockets each year on classroom supplies, books, and learning materials.

The SEED Act is supported by a broad coalition of education and child advocacy organizations, including the Center for American Progress, the American Federation of Teachers, Teach For America, the First Five Years Fund, and Trying Together.

Earlier this year, the SEED Act became the first Democrat-led stand-alone bill to receive a mark-up in the Committee on Ways and Means.

###