WASHINGTON, DC–Senators Tom Harkin (D-IA) and Olympia Snowe (R-ME) reintroduced Hearing Aid Tax Credit bill (S. 905) on May 5, with eight original co-sponsors. Rep. Tom Latham (R-IA) and Rep. Carolyn McCarthy (D-NY) introduced a companion bill (H.R. 1479) in the House of Representatives in April.
The Senate bill is unchanged from legislation in the 111th Congress, which attracted a total of 10 co-sponsors by the end of the session. The House bill has 36 original co-sponsors. Both measures have strong bipartisan support.
If enacted, S. 905 would provide a $500 tax credit per hearing aid to people of all ages. That differs from the House bill, which would cover only children and people age 55 and older.
Todd Murray, chair of the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), noted, “Given that hearing aids can help 95% of people with hearing loss, it is tragic that lack of financial assistance continues to create a significant barrier to access for millions of Americans.”
Joining HIA to support the measure are AARP, the Alexander Graham Bell Association for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, the Hearing Loss Association of America, the Academy of Doctors of Audiology, the American Academy of Audiology, the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association, the American Tinnitus Association, and the International Hearing Society.
This legislation has attracted enormous grassroots support, as evidenced by the more than 75,000 e-mails and letters that Americans across the nation have sent to their senators and representatives. To contact your elected representatives, go to www.hearingaidtaxcredit.org.
