Bills · S 4291
IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS
Senate BillS 4291Taxation
Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026
This bill helps people who take time off work to care for children or elderly relatives by letting them put extra money into their retirement accounts to make up for lost savings time.AI-written
INTRO APR 14· LAST ACTION APR 14
READING
3MIN
COSPONSORS
1
READER REACTIONS0 TOTAL
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- Introduced only
tl;dr
AI-writtenAllows unpaid family caregivers who work less than 500 hours a year to make extra 'catch-up' contributions to their retirement accounts, regardless of their age, for up to five years.
LEGISLATIVE PROGRESS
STEP 2 / 8Introduced
In Committee
Reported
Passed Senate
Passed House
Conference
To President
Became Law
WHAT THE BILL DOES
AI-writtenCaregiving often creates a 'retirement gap' because people—disproportionately women—reduce their working hours or leave the workforce entirely to care for loved ones, losing years of compound interest and employer matches. This bill acknowledges that unpaid caregiving is valuable work that shouldn't result in poverty during old age. If it becomes law, it provides a way for families to use their household income to 'catch up' the caregiver's personal retirement account, helping to ensure they have financial security later in life.
KEY PROVISIONS
5AI-extractedPROVISION 01
Allows 'qualified family caregivers' to make catch-up contributions to employer-sponsored plans like 401(k)s and 403(b)s.
It removes the age-50 requirement for these extra retirement savings, specifically for those providing unpaid care.
PROVISION 02
Sets a 500-hour minimum for caregiving and a 500-hour maximum for paid work to qualify for the year.
This ensures the benefit is targeted at those whose retirement savings are most significantly impacted by their caregiving duties.
PROVISION 03
Limits the use of this special status to a maximum of five years per person.
This prevents the provision from being used as a permanent tax loophole while still covering several years of intensive caregiving.
PROVISION 04
Allows the same catch-up benefits for Individual Retirement Accounts (IRAs).
This ensures that caregivers who don't have access to an employer plan can still save extra in their own private retirement accounts.
PROVISION 05
Allows employers to rely on a caregiver's written self-certification that they meet the requirements.
This reduces the paperwork burden on both the employer and the caregiver, making the benefit easier to use.
SPONSORSHIP
1 + 1
R· Maine
YRS IN OFFICE
29
BILLS LED
30
COSPONSOR BREAKDOWNBIPARTISAN · 0%
DEM 1 REP 0 IND 0
ACTION TIMELINE
2 EVENTSAPR 14
Introduced in Senate
APR 14
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S1741-1742)
BILL INFO
TypeSenate Bill
NumberS 4291
Congress119th
StatusIn Committee
IntroducedApr 14, 2026
Last actionApr 14, 2026
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IN COMMITTEE· 119TH CONGRESS · FINANCE COMMITTEE · INTRODUCED APR 14, 2026
Senate BillS 4291Taxation
Catching Up Family Caregivers Act of 2026
This bill helps people who take time off work to care for children or elderly relatives by letting them put extra money into their retirement accounts to make up for lost savings time.AI-written
INTRODUCED APR 14, 2026· LAST ACTION APR 14, 2026
PASSAGE CHANCES
—%
READING
3 min
COSPONSORS
1
COMPLEXITY
Moderate
