Pettersen proposes House bill expanding retirement savings options for unpaid caregivers

U.S. Rep. Brittany Pettersen has introduced a new bill in the House designed to increase retirement savings flexibility for people providing unpaid care to family members, according to the U.S. Congress.

Known as H.R.8273, the legislation was presented on April 14, 2026, during the regular 2026 session of the 119th Congress. The following summary, based on the bill text, clarifies the core provisions outlined in the measure.

The bill proposes amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 that would allow certain family caregivers to make extra catch-up contributions to retirement plans. Under the bill, “qualified family caregivers” are defined as those providing at least 500 hours of unpaid care in a taxable year while working fewer than 500 paid hours. This status can apply for a maximum of one taxable year at a time, for up to five years. Provisions cover caregivers for children or adults with special needs. Eligible caregivers would be able to make additional retirement contributions on par with what individuals aged 50 and older are permitted. The changes would take effect for taxable years starting after December 31, 2026.

Rep. Brittany Pettersen (Democrat-CO-7th District) introduced the bill, which is co-sponsored by Rep. Maria Elvira Salazar (Republican-CO-27th District).

In the current session, Rep. Pettersen has sponsored a total of 22 other bills.

An identical Senate version, S.4291, was introduced the same day. Congressional documentation indicates it is the companion bill to H.R.8273.

Congressional bills may originate in either the U.S. House or the Senate, with the exception of revenue measures, which start in the House. Upon introduction, bills are referred to committees, where they may be reviewed, amended, and debated before being brought to a vote. If both chambers pass the same version, the proposal moves to the president, who may either sign or veto it. Congress conducts business in two-year terms, each sequentially numbered and divided into two sessions per term. The legislative process, as well as legislative records, are managed by the U.S. Congress and available on Congress.gov.

Brittany Pettersen represents Colorado and was born on December 6, 1981. She earned a B.A. from Metropolitan State University of Denver in 2006 and has served in positions including the Colorado House of Representatives from 2013 to 2018, the Colorado Senate from 2019 to 2022, and entered the 118th Congress in January 2023.

Information for this article came from the U.S. Congress. The source material is available here.