Community News and Small Business Support Act
Sponsored By: Representative Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
Introduced
Summary
Creates targeted tax credits to revive local journalism by paying small businesses to buy local ads and by giving employers payroll tax relief when they pay local news journalists. It would set up a business advertising credit and a separate quarterly payroll credit aimed at supporting local newsrooms and advertising in local media.
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- Small businesses: Eligible firms with fewer than 50 full-time employees would get a nonrefundable credit for qualified local newspaper or local FCC-licensed radio and TV ads. The credit covers 80% of qualified ad spending in year one up to $5,000 and 50% in later years up to $2,500.
- Local news employers and journalists: Employers whose sales come mostly from publishing local newspapers could claim a payroll tax credit for journalists who work at least 200 hours per quarter. The credit counts up to 1,500 journalists per employer per quarter and up to $12,500 of wages per journalist per quarter, with a 50% rate for the first four quarters and 30% thereafter.
- Local media outlets and integrity rules: The bill defines "local newspaper" and "local news journalist" with staffing and independence tests, adds aggregation and anti-abuse rules, requires IRS guidance, and terminates the credits five years after enactment.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 2 benefits, 0 costs, 0 mixed.
Local media ad credit for small businesses
If you run a small business with under 50 full-time employees, you could get a nonrefundable credit for ads in local newspapers or on FCC-licensed local radio/TV; sponsorships would count. In your first eligible year, it would cover 80% of costs, up to $5,000. After that, it would cover 50%, up to $2,500. Related employers would be treated as one, and you could not also deduct the credited costs. The newspaper must meet the bill’s local newsroom rules for at least a year before and when you pay; the credit would start after enactment and end after five years.
Payroll credit for local news employers
If you publish local newspapers and get most of your revenue from that, you could get a payroll tax credit for wages paid to local news journalists. It would be 50% of covered wages for each of the first four quarters, then 30% after that. You could count up to 1,500 workers per quarter, and only up to $12,500 in wages per worker would count; each worker must log at least 200 hours in the quarter. The credit could not be more than your employment tax for the quarter; any extra would be refunded. Government employers are excluded, and it would apply to quarters after enactment and stop after five years.
Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Tenney, Claudia [R-NY-24]
NY • R
Cosponsors
DelBene
WA • D
Sponsored 2/27/2025
Rep. Carter, Earl L. "Buddy" [R-GA-1]
GA • R
Sponsored 6/2/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 7/29/2025
Rep. Magaziner, Seth [D-RI-2]
RI • D
Sponsored 8/15/2025
Rep. Malliotakis, Nicole [R-NY-11]
NY • R
Sponsored 9/30/2025
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17]
NY • R
Sponsored 10/17/2025
Rep. Pappas, Chris [D-NH-1]
NH • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Keating
MA • D
Sponsored 5/7/2026
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
View on Congress.gov