AB 397 California Assembly · 2025-2026 Regular Session

Personal Income Tax Law: young child tax credit.

Summary
The Personal Income Tax Law allows various credits against the taxes imposed by that law, including a young child tax credit to a qualified taxpayer in a specified amount multiplied by the earned income tax credit adjustment factor, as provided. That law also allows a payment from the continuously appropriated Tax Relief and Refund Account for an amount in excess of tax liability. Existing law defines "qualified taxpayer" for this purpose to include an eligible individual, as defined, who has a qualifying child, defined to be a child younger than 6 years of age as of the last day of the taxable year, and who meets other specified criteria. This bill, for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2025, would instead define a "qualifying child" to mean a child younger than a specified age as of the last day of the taxable year, as described. By increasing the payments from the Tax Relief and Refund Account, a continuously appropriated fund, the bill would make an appropriation. Existing law requires any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure to contain, among other things, specific goals that the tax expenditure will achieve, detailed performance indicators, and data collection requirements. This bill would include additional information required for any bill authorizing a new tax expenditure.
Bill status failed 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Feb 2025
Committee Review
Floor Vote
Governor
Introduced Feb 3, 2025 Last action Feb 2, 2026
Maddy AI version diff · 1 comparison

What changed between versions

02/03/25 - Introduced AB397 · 3 edits
MINOR
The changes between these two versions of AB 397 are entirely technical and presentational. The substantive legislative text (the Young Child Tax Credit provisions, age thresholds, credit amounts, phase-out rules, and all other policy language) is identical in both versions. The differences consist of reformatting the document from a line-numbered PDF-style layout to a web-based presentation format, removal of page headers and footers, and addition of website navigation elements.
TECHNICAL

Document was reformatted from a line-numbered legislative print layout (with page numbers, running headers like 'AB 397 -2-') to a clean web-based text format without line numbers or page markers.

Website navigation elements were added (skip to content, home, accessibility, FAQ, feedback, sitemap, login, search fields, bill tracking links, share options).

The revision date notation changed from 'Revised 4-29-25 - See last page.' to 'Revised April 29, 2025' and the header was simplified from the formal legislative session heading to a plain bill title.

Floor votes

How they voted

No floor votes recorded yet.
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
12
Key actions
5
Committee
8
Feb 2, 2026
Lower · Passed
From committee: Filed with the Chief Clerk pursuant to Joint Rule 56.
lower
May 23, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Held under submission.
lower
May 21, 2025
Committee
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to APPR. suspense file.
lower
May 14, 2025
Lower · Passed
In committee: Hearing postponed by committee.
lower
Apr 29, 2025
Lower · Passed
From committee: Do pass and re-refer to Com. on APPR. (Ayes 5. Noes 1.) (April 28). Re-referred to Com. on APPR.
lower
Mar 10, 2025
Committee
In committee: Set, first hearing. Referred to REV. & TAX. suspense file.
lower
Feb 18, 2025
Committee
Referred to Com. on REV. & TAX.
lower
Feb 4, 2025
Lower · Passed
From printer. May be heard in committee March 6.
lower
1 primary · 27 co-sponsors

Sponsors