# Summary of H.R. 4789: Providing for Life Act of 2023
This comprehensive bill aims to support pregnant women, mothers, and families through tax benefits, workplace policies, and expanded social services. The legislation increases the child tax credit to $3,500 per child (or $4,500 for children under age 6) and makes it permanently available. It allows mothers to claim the credit for unborn children if they obtain a Social Security number before filing taxes, with retroactive credits available when the child is born. The bill creates a new three-month paid parental leave benefit through Social Security available to parents with sufficient work history, funded through future reductions to retirement benefits or an extended retirement age.
The bill expands support programs significantly by requiring biological fathers to cover 50 percent of pregnancy and delivery medical expenses, extending WIC (nutrition assistance) benefits to postpartum women for up to two years, and establishing a $100 million grant program for community-based maternal mentoring. It also funds workforce development programs for non-custodial parents, creates an online resource portal (life.gov) listing pregnancy support services, and requires public colleges to inform pregnant students of their rights and accommodations. The legislation allows pregnancy resource centers to receive federal funding under Title X without providing contraception referrals, mandates equal treatment for religious organizations in federally funded social service programs, and requires pregnant students' complaints to be addressed through institutional protocols. The bill takes effect for tax years beginning after December 31, 2022, with various implementation timelines for different provisions.
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