WASHINGTON, DC—Congresswoman Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) is pleased to announce that the Classroom Expense Deduction was included in a bipartisan package that passed the House today by a vote of 378-46.
“I am very happy that when teachers file their taxes next year, they’ll have this modest recognition of the financial sacrifices they make for our kids,” said Shea-Porter.
Last October, Shea-Porter introduced H.R.3318, the Reimburse Educators who Pay for Academic Year (REPAY) Supplies Act, and built an active coalition of 68 bipartisan cosponsors. Throughout 2014, she led bipartisan letters and advocacy efforts, speaking with colleagues on both sides of the aisle about the importance of extending this deduction.
Shea-Porter began her efforts in response to a letter she received from Margaret Morse-Barry, an educator from Derry, New Hampshire, who urged Shea-Porter to look into extending the expiring tax deduction.
“For teachers, educating students is much more than just a day job,” said Shea-Porter. “They come to school early, stay late, and give up their own time and money to create welcoming and engaging classroom environments. The Classroom Expense Deduction lets us put some of that money back in teachers’ pockets, mitigating the financial sacrifices they make on behalf of their students.”
Supporters of Shea-Porter’s legislation include the National Education Association (NEA), National Association of Elementary School Principals (NAESP), National Association of Secondary School Principals (NASSP), Association for Career and Technical Education (ACTE), National Science Teachers Association (NSTA), American Federation of Teachers (AFT), NEA–New Hampshire Chapter, AFT–New Hampshire Chapter, and the New Hampshire School Administrators Association.