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<bill bill-type="olc" bill-stage="Introduced-in-Senate" dms-id="A1" public-private="public" slc-id="S1-MCG25A85-L28-SF-PYG"><metadata xmlns:dc="http://purl.org/dc/elements/1.1/">
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<dc:title>119 S3265 IS: Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act</dc:title>
<dc:publisher>U.S. Senate</dc:publisher>
<dc:date>2025-11-20</dc:date>
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<dc:language>EN</dc:language>
<dc:rights>Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain.</dc:rights>
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<distribution-code display="yes">II</distribution-code><congress>119th CONGRESS</congress><session>1st Session</session><legis-num>S. 3265</legis-num><current-chamber>IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES</current-chamber><action><action-date date="20251120">November 20, 2025</action-date><action-desc><sponsor name-id="S373">Mr. Cassidy</sponsor> (for himself, <cosponsor name-id="S388">Ms. Hassan</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S343">Mr. Boozman</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S362">Mr. Kaine</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S411">Mr. Marshall</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S422">Mr. Welch</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S347">Mr. Moran</cosponsor>, <cosponsor name-id="S437">Mr. Justice</cosponsor>, and <cosponsor name-id="S385">Ms. Cortez Masto</cosponsor>) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the <committee-name committee-id="SSFI00">Committee on Finance</committee-name></action-desc></action><legis-type>A BILL</legis-type><official-title>To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve and enhance the work opportunity tax credit, to encourage longer-service employment, and to modernize the credit to make it more effective as a hiring incentive for targeted workers, and for other purposes.</official-title></form><legis-body style="OLC" display-enacting-clause="yes-display-enacting-clause" id="H194C8166BF19496F97F77DFEAEC59AFC"><section section-type="section-one" id="H6945A73970674C08991E518484B19C4E"><enum>1.</enum><header>Short title</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">This Act may be cited as the <quote><short-title>Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act</short-title></quote>.</text></section><section id="H1113F8C726C749EEB40D55D89DBB6EE8"><enum>2.</enum><header>Improving and enhancing work opportunity tax credit</header><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idf4abce32fae24a55a526bce91e62aea1"><enum>(a)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Extension</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/51">Section 51(c)(4)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking <quote>December 31, 2025</quote> and inserting <quote>December 31, 2030</quote>.</text></subsection><subsection id="H4E37545A37F640EA9EC24538946528EC"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Enhancement of credit</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddc67986dc8f548938cdcdd2b18fa9a8d"><enum>(1)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">In general</header><text><external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/51">Section 51(a)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended—</text><subparagraph id="H7FFBFBB5AB024C01B0026D9312D79B32"><enum>(A)</enum><text>by striking <quote>shall be equal to 40 percent</quote> and all that follows and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="H42A459DB293847C588923A7425542938"><text>shall be equal to the sum of—</text><paragraph id="H4FA26985187A4B228284C80AFBCDECD3"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">50 percent of so much of the qualified first-year wages with respect to each individual for such year as does not exceed $6,000, plus</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H02B6909C18954A0D80AB9A144CC6776D"><enum>(2)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the case of individuals who have performed at least 400 hours of service for the employer, 50 percent of so much of the qualified first-year wages with respect to each such individual for such year as exceeds the dollar amount in effect under paragraph (1) and does not exceed twice such dollar amount.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfa09c2b8cdae4575b6c5ba7c8be0f22c"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Inflation adjustments</header><text>Section 51 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:</text><quoted-block id="id33b77a54cb544b4fb8befad228fe27da" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><subsection commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd96666a3c34746509b3afdc96b0120db"><enum>(l)</enum><header>Inflation adjustment</header><paragraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc2358545fcd44e4da294eddb41b1999d"><enum>(1)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of any taxable year beginning after 2025, the $6,000 amount in subsections (a)(1) and each of the $10,000 amount in subsection (e)(1) shall be increased by an amount equal to—</text><subparagraph id="id9860fdec7bc3480d8f91bfbb7b7ed8bd" commented="no"><enum>(A)</enum><text>such dollar amount, multiplied by</text></subparagraph><subparagraph id="id54dc7bcdf13344e38f533c5ff77c631f" commented="no"><enum>(B)</enum><text>the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting <quote>calendar year 2024</quote> for <quote>calendar year 2016</quote> in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof.</text></subparagraph></paragraph><paragraph id="id36b147f21bdc459197a73343ac566302" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(2)</enum><header>Rounding</header><text>Any increase determined under paragraph (1) shall be rounded to the next nearest multiple of $100.</text></paragraph></subsection><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></paragraph><paragraph id="H048460917D014EC396817DD36431D937"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Conforming amendments</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idc82cfb1bb6204a8d811e5c92b2bda4c2"><enum>(A)</enum><header display-inline="yes-display-inline">Limitation on wages taken into account for certain veterans</header><text>Section 51(b)(3) of such Code is amended to read as follows:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="H0306AE1A177742A9A9112D9AF118F5DC"><paragraph id="H7A6DC20DD89E497AA62D4D89F0571D33"><enum>(3)</enum><header>Increased limitation on wages taken into account for certain veterans</header><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id8d007dc390e64a67a88216a11636aa18"><enum>(A)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">In the case of any qualified veteran described in subparagraph (B), subsection (a) shall be applied by substituting <quote>the applicable amount</quote> for <quote>$6,000</quote>.</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id4f6b38caa48246089003f341f19321ea"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Applicable amount</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">For purposes of this paragraph, the applicable amount is—</text><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idd0b2d0a5dfb04fc5b2eb5837edc90a45"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in the case of any individual who is a qualified veteran by reason of subsection (d)(3)(A)(ii)(I), 200 percent of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1),</text></clause><clause id="H87C3C3AE6D6B4CD3B8363AC68446685B"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in the case of any individual who is a qualified veteran by reason of subsection (d)(3)(A)(iv), 250 percent of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1), and</text></clause><clause id="HD9EAB046A9AE49DDBA8F69490E675396"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>in the case of any individual who is a qualified veteran by reason of subsection (d)(3)(A)(ii)(II), 400 percent of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1).</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H0527B70659084D4BBEE4D809CD75F11F"><enum>(B)</enum><header>Long-term family assistance recipients</header><clause id="H0902A54612CD4C43BD80CB4CC4DCF547"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Section 51(e)(1) of such Code is amended by striking <quote>family assistance recipient—</quote> and all that follows and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="yes-display-inline" id="HC6B272B1D8184DD5827282F0313786C9"><text>family assistance recipient, in lieu of subsection (a), the amount of the work opportunity credit determined under this section for the taxable year shall be equal to—</text><paragraph id="HE38F8EFB1C7C49288ABE8CC48DF810AD"><enum>(1)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">40 percent of so much of the qualified first-year wages with respect to such individual for such year as does not exceed $10,000, and</text></paragraph><paragraph id="H6327DFCDC83644019C2E232A41278B38"><enum>(2)</enum><text>50 percent of so much of the qualified second-year wages with respect to such individual for such year as does not exceed $10,000.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause><clause id="H8A228571E19C421BB4DF68DB77EC725C" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Clerical amendment</header><text>The heading for section 51(e) of such Code is amended by striking <quote><header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">Credit for second-year wages</header-in-text></quote> and inserting <quote><header-in-text level="subsection" style="OLC">Special rules for determining credit</header-in-text></quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="H8CE1F1F12D5245CA83E4BCE904773F3C"><enum>(C)</enum><header>Summer youth employees</header><text>Section 51(d)(7)(B) of such Code is amended—</text><clause id="HC9F9FDF4AEE84AC494BC27F92361BE61"><enum>(i)</enum><text>by striking clause (ii),</text></clause><clause id="H974404642A104256A8495042765AD33C"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>by striking <quote>, and</quote> at the end of clause (i) and inserting a period,</text></clause><clause id="H659D28AE63334B72AE496BA02C9ED4BD"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>by redesignating clause (i) (as so amended) as clause (v), and</text></clause><clause id="H81003F8D657447ED85758CB94AA32F5F"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>by inserting before such clause (v) (as so redesignated) the following new clauses:</text><quoted-block id="H8A5948725C914F91A72D9903BC54A39A" display-inline="no-display-inline" style="OLC"><clause id="H930F62598BB6404195FF62225F1F79FA"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in lieu of the amount determined under subsection (a), the amount of the work opportunity credit determined under this section for the taxable year shall be equal to 40 percent of the qualified first-year wages for such year,</text></clause><clause id="H0986129E2D404EA084E8C4A05074FB52"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>in the case of an individual described in subsection (i)(3)(A), clause (i) shall be applied by substituting <quote>25 percent</quote> for <quote>40 percent</quote>,</text></clause><clause id="H527EC354AB2541A4B47438F7B1A942B5"><enum>(iii)</enum><text>in the case of an individual described in subsection (i)(3)(B), no wages shall be taken into account under clause (i),</text></clause><clause id="HE17A2B58D0CF48DE83D2872238FBC11E" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(iv)</enum><text>the amount of qualified first-year wages which may be taken into account with respect to such individual shall not exceed 50 percent of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1), and</text></clause><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id7b14967da7dc4e63936f80e839996f38"><enum>(D)</enum><header>Agricultural and railway labor</header><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide6f41c5583a541f68671d9e8510bc924"><enum>(i)</enum><header>In general</header><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Section 51(h)(1) of such Code is amended—</text><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ida40373d70edf4642af35a5709ad83961"><enum>(I)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">in subparagraph (A), by striking <quote>$6,000</quote> and inserting <quote>the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1)</quote>, and</text></subclause><subclause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="iddac309734eeb4088b70e1f13d4ced935"><enum>(II)</enum><text>in subparagraph (B), by striking <quote>$500 per month</quote> and inserting <quote>one-twelfth of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1) per month</quote>.</text></subclause></clause><clause commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id321bbe06e9454af4bb37841edce3ce22"><enum>(ii)</enum><header>Related conforming amendments</header><text>Section 51(e)(3) of such Code is amended by striking subparagraphs (A) and (B) and inserting the following:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id40f4dc72031f47caa4e9f183c74bc831"><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="ide835591c652e47fabbfdf5a63a1a14dc"><enum>(A)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such subparagraph (A) shall be applied by substituting <quote>the dollar amount in effect under subsection (e)(1)</quote> for <quote>the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1)</quote>, and</text></subparagraph><subparagraph commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="idfdbc2183e1f2496ca48f2865065535d3"><enum>(B)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">such subparagraph (B) shall be applied by substituting <quote>one-twelfth of the dollar amount in effect under subsection(e)(1)</quote> for <quote>one-twelfth of the dollar amount in effect under subsection (a)(1)</quote>.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></clause></subparagraph><subparagraph id="HDB36E82651144332AEE9CE70015B5258"><enum>(E)</enum><header>Individuals not meeting minimum employment periods</header><clause id="H9152650EE8C1431CB937C476E85A65F0"><enum>(i)</enum><text display-inline="yes-display-inline">Subparagraphs (A) and (B) of section 51(i)(3) of such Code are each amended by striking <quote>subsection (a)</quote> and inserting <quote>subsection (a)(1)</quote>.</text></clause><clause id="H16DAFF230FC744BAA7AA13A1D100DCDA" commented="no" display-inline="no-display-inline"><enum>(ii)</enum><text>Section 51(i)(3)(A) of such Code is amended by striking <quote>40 percent</quote> and inserting <quote>50 percent</quote>.</text></clause></subparagraph></paragraph></subsection><subsection id="id8615a6217b034ce9bf439965cb435670"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Removal of age limit for qualified supplemental nutrition assistance program benefits recipient</header><text>Section 51(d)(8)(A)(i) of such Code is amended by striking <quote>but not age 40</quote>.</text></subsection><subsection id="H61C86AA60592419DB05E1AF77C90F3BD"><enum>(d)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for the employer after December 31, 2025.</text></subsection></section><section id="id7ecd2a03e1774d278c7a6ebf06de159b"><enum>3.</enum><header>Eligibility of spouses of military personnel for the work opportunity credit</header><subsection id="id060cd28194bc46f29c1aa39fe253c85b"><enum>(a)</enum><header>In general</header><text>Paragraph (1) of <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/51">section 51(d)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking <quote>or</quote> at the end of subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (J) and inserting <quote>, or</quote>, and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id5eeed877e55e4541a61d2a132046eadc"><subparagraph id="id01f027be06874e778496a93c86506812"><enum>(K)</enum><text>a qualified military spouse.</text></subparagraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="id3a7ffa84e6b24d8d9ffefdde580e81e2"><enum>(b)</enum><header>Qualified military spouse</header><text>Subsection (d) of section 51 of such Code is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:</text><quoted-block style="OLC" display-inline="no-display-inline" id="id74030e11bf7042219d23df2cb39f0310"><paragraph id="id5bd245db0f2e4a88920cc2d68e88aa5b"><enum>(16)</enum><header>Qualified military spouse</header><text>The term <term>qualified military spouse</term> means any individual who is certified by the designated local agency as being (as of the hiring date) a spouse of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States.</text></paragraph><after-quoted-block>.</after-quoted-block></quoted-block></subsection><subsection id="idf654fa0e6e884abab6c837a2a2cabf5f"><enum>(c)</enum><header>Effective date</header><text>The amendments made by this section shall apply to amounts paid or incurred after the date of the enactment of this Act to individuals who begin work for the employer after such date.</text></subsection></section><section id="id3f658f3d105249ea807cf231e4056033"><enum>4.</enum><header>Promotion of targeted group member hiring to certain industries</header><text display-inline="no-display-inline">The Secretary of the Treasury, the Secretary of Commerce, the Secretary of Labor, and the Administrator of the Small Business Administration (or their respective delegates), in consultation with each other and consistent with applicable law, shall promote the hiring of members of a targeted group (as defined in <external-xref legal-doc="usc" parsable-cite="usc/26/51">section 51(d)</external-xref> of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986) to business leaders across critical industry sectors, including manufacturing, infrastructure, energy, health care, and construction.</text></section></legis-body></bill>

