The bill would amend the federal tax code to make Puerto Ricans with one or two children eligible for the CTC.

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Currently, eligible taxpayers living in Puerto Rico only qualify for the CTC if they have three or more children, unlike parents elsewhere in the United States.

“There is zero justification for treating any American citizen as second class based solely on their zip code, let alone when we are talking about the ability for struggling families to care for their children,” said Menendez in a statement. “Extending the child tax credit benefit to Puerto Ricans with one or two children will provide these families with much needed relief.

The Child Tax Credit Equity for Puerto Rico Act would make up to 355,000 families in Puerto Rico eligible for the credit and provide them with $273 million, according to the bill's proponents.

"Putting more money in people’s pockets will help make families more financially secure and stimulate the local economy at a time when Puerto Rico is still recovering from the devastation caused by Hurricane Maria,” said Menendez.

Most taxpayers who reside in Puerto Rico — including U.S. citizens, permanent residents and eligible foreigners — do not pay federal income tax, but are subject to local taxes as well as payroll taxes.

Federal employees and other Puerto Rico residents who receive their income from outside the territory are liable for federal income tax.

But federal benefits, including the CTC, are sharply curtailed in Puerto Rico, the territory with the highest poverty rate among all states and U.S. possessions.

Under the CTC, taxpayers can claim $2,000 off their federal taxes for every dependent child under age 17.