Ryun Reintroduces Hearing Aid Tax Credit Bill

January 26, 2005, Congressman Jim Ryun (R-KS) reintroduced the “Hearing Aid Assistance Tax Credit Act”. The Congressman was joined by 20 original co-sponsors. This bill is identical to last session’s H.R. 3103, also authored by Congressman Ryun, and would provide $500 towards the purchase of a hearing aid, once every five years, for individuals age 55 and older, or those purchasing a hearing aid for someone under 18.

With 20 original co-sponsors signed on, the bill starts out with great momentum. SHHH, together with other key hearing healthcare stakeholders, has already started meeting with other Congressional offices to gain their support for this legislation.

Senator Norm Coleman, (R-MN) has indicated that he will reintroduce a Senate companion bill in the Spring. SHHH together with the Hearing Industries Association (HIA), the American Academy of Audiology (AAA), the American Speech-Language-Hearing Association (ASHA), the Deaf and Hard of Hearing Alliance (DHHA), and the International Hearing Society (HIS) will work hard to gain support for both the house and senate bills as passage of a tax credit for hearing aids is a priority.