Texas lawmaker proposes bill for tariff refund checks. What to know
Texas lawmaker proposes bill for tariff refund checks. What to know
Natassia Paloma, USA TODAY NETWORKThu, April 23, 2026 at 12:00 PM UTC
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Texas lawmaker proposes bill for tariff refund checks. What to know
Two bills introduced by lawmakers seek to return money to Americans after tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump were found to be illegal.
Members of Congress from Texas and New Mexico introduced bills in March after Trump floated the idea of sending tariff dividend checks to Americans back in November. Since then, there's been no recent update from Trump as to when the stimulus checks could arrive for Americans. A new portal from Customs and Border Protection now allows businesses to request tariff refunds after the Supreme Court ruled them illegal in February.
As businesses begin receiving refunds, taxpayers may be wondering if relief could extend to them as well.
Here’s what to know about the bills aiming to put money in Americans’ pockets.
Could we get a stimulus check in 2026?
Rep. Henry Cuellar, D-Texas, introduced the "American Consumer Tariff Rebate Act of 2026" on March 9.
H.R.7865 calls for $231,350,000,000 – roughly how much consumers are said to have paid due to tariffs, according to the Congressional Budget Office and the Joint Economic Committee – to fund tariff rebate payments to Americans, The Hill reported.
The bill reads: "to provide direct refunds to taxpayers for increased consumer costs attributable to tariffs imposed without congressional authorization."
The last action on the bill was its referral to the House Committee on Ways and Means in March.
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A New Mexico lawmaker, Sen. Martin Heinrich, D-NM, introduced the "Tariff Refunds for Working Families Act" to the Senate on March 12. According to CNBC, the rebate would pay $1,200 to joint filers making under $180,000 annually and $600 for each additional child.
S.4093 was referred to the Committee on Finance in March.
Both bills still need to pass Congress before they can reach the president's desk for signature.
What would need to happen to get a $2,000 stimulus check?
Any form of stimulus payment issued by the U.S. government would have to be approved by Congress.
USA TODAY contributed to this story.
Natassia Paloma may be reached at npaloma@gannett.com, @NatassiaPaloma on x; natassia_paloma on Instagram, and Natassia Paloma Thompson on Facebook.
More: How much in taxes do Texans pay at the gas pump? Here's what to know
This article originally appeared on USATNetwork: Tariff refund update: Texas, New Mexico lawmakers push stimulus bills
Source: “AOL Money”
