{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://vindman.house.gov/2026/09/17/vindman-introduces-legislation-to-help-virginia-families-pay-for-back-to-school-essentials/", "Vindman Introduces Legislation to Help Virginia Families Pay for Back-to-School Essentials", "2026-09-17", "2026", "2026-09", "Democrat", "House", "VA", "Eugene Simon Vindman", "V000138", "vindman.house.gov", "vindman", "https://vindman.house.gov/category/press-releases/", "scraper", "WASHINGTON, D.C. \u2013 Congressman Eugene Vindman (Va.-07) today introduced the Back-to-School Tax Credit Act, legislation that would provide families with a new federal tax credit for basic school supplies.\n\n\u201cEvery parent knows the back-to-school list: backpacks, notebooks, pencils, folders, calculators \u2014 the basics our kids need to show up ready to learn. But now, that list is growing far too expensive,\u201d said Vindman. \u201cFor hardworking families already stretching every dollar, those costs add up quickly. As a dad of two, I know firsthand that these aren\u2019t optional expenses. Kids need school supplies every year, and families shouldn\u2019t have to choose between getting their children what they need to succeed and paying for other necessities.\u201d\n\nThe Back-to-School Tax Credit Act would provide a refundable tax credit of up to $250 per qualifying child for eligible school supply expenses. The credit would help families offset the cost of supplies required for enrollment or attendance at a public, private, or home school providing elementary or secondary education.\n\nBACKGROUND\n\nThe legislation comes as back-to-school expenses continue to put pressure on household budgets. The National Retail Federation\u2019s 2026 Back-to-School Survey found that families expected to spend an average of $146.45 per K-12 student on school supplies, in addition to roughly $250 per child on clothing and apparel, adding up to nearly $400 per student.\n\nThe price of school supplies has also increased sharply over the past year. Some common items, including lunch boxes, notebooks, and tissues, have seen year-over-year price increases of 20 percent or more. Tariffs and disruptions to global supply chains have contributed to higher costs for manufacturers and consumers.\n\n###", 1, "2026-09-18T09:27:43Z", "2026-09-18T09:29:09Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://vindman.house.gov/2026/09/17/vindman-introduces-legislation-to-help-virginia-families-pay-for-back-to-school-essentials/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 0.8429070003330708, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}