# 119-hr-4157: Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act

119-hr-4157, Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4157
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-4157
- Congress: 119
- Title: Equal Dignity for Married Taxpayers Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-06-26
- Sponsor: Rep. Balint, Becca [D-VT-At Large] (D-VT)
- Cosponsors: 85
- Policy area: Taxation
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Gender-neutral language for married taxpayers**. This bill would replace male/female spouse terms across the Internal Revenue Code so legally married same-sex couples are referenced in the same, neutral terms while preserving existing tax rules. - Legally married same-sex couples would be explicitly treated as a single unit for certain tax mechanics, clarifying joint-return rules and community‑income questions in specific provisions. - The bill would modernize terminology across dozens of Code sections through 31 targeted amendments and two conforming edits to tables of sections to standardize spousal references. - Mechanics that previously used husband-and-wife wording would be reformulated to reflect married-couple status for matters like joint returns, gifts, estates, and property holdings so language aligns with current family structures.

## Cosponsors (85)

- Rep. Chu, Judy [D-CA-28] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Beyer, Donald S. [D-VA-8] (D-VA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bonamici, Suzanne [D-OR-1] (D-OR), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carbajal, Salud O. [D-CA-24] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Carson, André [D-IN-7] (D-IN), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casar, Greg [D-TX-35] (D-TX), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Casten, Sean [D-IL-6] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castor, Kathy [D-FL-14] (D-FL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Castro, Joaquin [D-TX-20] (D-TX), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Clarke, Yvette D. [D-NY-9] (D-NY), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Cleaver, Emanuel [D-MO-5] (D-MO), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Crockett, Jasmine [D-TX-30] (D-TX), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davids, Sharice [D-KS-3] (D-KS), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Davis, Danny K. [D-IL-7] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. DelBene, Suzan K. [D-WA-1] (D-WA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ramirez, Delia C. [D-IL-3] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Espaillat, Adriano [D-NY-13] (D-NY), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Fletcher, Lizzie [D-TX-7] (D-TX), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Foushee, Valerie P. [D-NC-4] (D-NC), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Frost, Maxwell [D-FL-10] (D-FL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. García, Jesús G. "Chuy" [D-IL-4] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wasserman Schultz, Debbie [D-FL-25] (D-FL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Robert [D-CA-42] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Gottheimer, Josh [D-NJ-5] (D-NJ), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hayes, Jahana [D-CT-5] (D-CT), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Hoyle, Val T. [D-OR-4] (D-OR), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jayapal, Pramila [D-WA-7] (D-WA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Henry C. "Hank" [D-GA-4] (D-GA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Johnson, Julie [D-TX-32] (D-TX), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Kamlager-Dove, Sydney [D-CA-37] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] (D-MA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Krishnamoorthi, Raja [D-IL-8] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lee, Summer L. [D-PA-12] (D-PA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lofgren, Zoe [D-CA-18] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Lynch, Stephen F. [D-MA-8] (D-MA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2] (D-RI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Matsui, Doris O. [D-CA-7] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-VA-4] (D-VA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McCollum, Betty [D-MN-4] (D-MN), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McGovern, James P. [D-MA-2] (D-MA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. McIver, LaMonica [D-NJ-10] (D-NJ), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Menendez, Robert [D-NJ-8] (D-NJ), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moore, Gwen [D-WI-4] (D-WI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Morelle, Joseph D. [D-NY-25] (D-NY), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Moulton, Seth [D-MA-6] (D-MA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mullin, Kevin [D-CA-15] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pallone, Frank [D-NJ-6] (D-NJ), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-CA-19] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pingree, Chellie [D-ME-1] (D-ME), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Pocan, Mark [D-WI-2] (D-WI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Raskin, Jamie [D-MD-8] (D-MD), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Salinas, Andrea [D-OR-6] (D-OR), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Jacobs, Sara [D-CA-51] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scanlon, Mary Gay [D-PA-5] (D-PA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Schakowsky, Janice D. [D-IL-9] (D-IL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-MI-3] (D-MI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Sherman, Brad [D-CA-32] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Simon, Lateefah [D-CA-12] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Smith, Adam [D-WA-9] (D-WA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Soto, Darren [D-FL-9] (D-FL), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Stevens, Haley M. [D-MI-11] (D-MI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Takano, Mark [D-CA-39] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Titus, Dina [D-NV-1] (D-NV), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tlaib, Rashida [D-MI-12] (D-MI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tokuda, Jill N. [D-HI-2] (D-HI), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Tonko, Paul [D-NY-20] (D-NY), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Torres, Ritchie [D-NY-15] (D-NY), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Vargas, Juan [D-CA-52] (D-CA), 2025-06-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Garcia, Sylvia R. [D-TX-29] (D-TX), 2025-07-15T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Doggett, Lloyd [D-TX-37] (D-TX), 2025-08-12T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Williams, Nikema [D-GA-5] (D-GA), 2025-08-26T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO), 2025-09-11T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Landsman, Greg [D-OH-1] (D-OH), 2025-09-30T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Craig, Angie [D-MN-2] (D-MN), 2025-10-08T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Latimer, George [D-NY-16] (D-NY), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-NV-4] (D-NV), 2025-11-17T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Deluzio, Christopher R. [D-PA-17] (D-PA), 2025-11-18T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Goldman, Daniel S. [D-NY-10] (D-NY), 2025-11-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-CA-50] (D-CA), 2025-12-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Wilson, Frederica S. [D-FL-24] (D-FL), 2026-02-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Meng, Grace [D-NY-6] (D-NY), 2026-02-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Evans, Dwight [D-PA-3] (D-PA), 2026-02-20T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Ansari, Yassamin [D-AZ-3] (D-AZ), 2026-05-19T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Switch to a joint return later: benefit, medium. If enacted, married taxpayers who filed separate returns could later file a joint return for that year. The joint return would count as both spouses’ return. Prior payments, credits, and refunds from either separate return would be applied to the joint return. Elections made on the separate return…
- Community property won’t reduce expat exclusion: benefit, low. If enacted, married taxpayers whose earnings are community income could claim the foreign earned income exclusion as if the income were not community income. The couple’s combined exclusion would equal what it would be without community property rules. This would help married taxpayers in community…
- Married business owners treated as one: mixed, medium. If enacted, some tax rules would treat spouses as one person or one partner. This would apply to certain partnership, ownership, and loan rules. It would not apply to some loan rules if the spouses lived apart the entire tax year the loan was made. For specified rules, stock or partnership interest…
- Gift splitting limited to U.S. couples: mixed, low. If enacted, a gift by one spouse to a non‑spouse would count half to each spouse only if both spouses are U.S. citizens or residents at the time of the gift. The split would not apply if the donor gives the spouse a general power of appointment over the interest. For this rule, you are treated as a…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025
- 119-hr-15: Equality Act
- 119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025
- 119-hr-12: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-4157 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/4157)

## Related
- [119-hr-51: Washington, D.C. Admission Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-51)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-20: Richard L. Trumka Protecting the Right to Organize Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-20)
- [119-hr-15: Equality Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-15)
- [119-hr-1589: American Dream and Promise Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1589)
- [119-hr-12: Women’s Health Protection Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-12)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4157 (as of 2026-09-21).