[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 841 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 841

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 relating to the unemployment 
      tax for individuals employed in the entertainment industry.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           February 26, 1997

 Mr. English of Pennsylvania (for himself, Mr. Matsui, Mr. Royce, Mr. 
 Ensign, Mr. Gejdenson, and Mr. Waxman) introduced the following bill; 
         which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 relating to the unemployment 
      tax for individuals employed in the entertainment industry.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. INDIVIDUALS EMPLOYED IN ENTERTAINMENT INDUSTRY.

    (a) In General.--Section 3304(a)(15) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 (relating to reductions in tax) is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A),
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) 
        and inserting ``; and'', and
            (3) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(C) in the case of a pension, retirement or retired pay, 
        annuity, or other similar periodic payment under an 
        entertainment industry plan contributed to by an employer--
                            ``(i) such a reduction shall not be 
                        required by reason of such a payment unless--
                                    ``(I) such individual worked for 
                                such employer before the base period, 
                                and
                                    ``(II) such employer contributed to 
                                such plan on account of such 
                                individual's work for such employer 
                                before the base period, and
                            ``(ii) subject to subparagraph (B), such 
                        reduction shall not exceed the amount (if any) 
                        of the increase referred to in subparagraph 
                        (A)(ii) in such payment which is attributable 
                        to services performed by such individual for 
                        such employer;''.
    (b) Entertainment Industry Plan and Employer.--Section 3304 of such 
Code is amended by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(g) Entertainment Industry Plans and Employers.--For purposes of 
subsection (a)(15)(C)--
            ``(1) Entertainment industry plan.--The term `entertainment 
        industry plan' means any multiemployer plan substantially all 
        of the contributions to which are made by entertainment 
        industry employers.
            ``(2) Entertainment industry employer.--The term 
        `entertainment industry employer' means any employer 
        substantially all of the trades or businesses of which consists 
        of either or both--
                    ``(A) radio or television broadcasting, and
                    ``(B) the production or distribution of visual 
                images or sound on--
                            ``(i) video or audiotape,
                            ``(ii) film, or
                            ``(iii) computer-generated or other visual 
                        or audio media,
        for public dissemination (whether for entertainment, 
        informational, commercial, educational, religious, or other 
        purposes).''
    (c) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--The amendments made by this section shall 
        apply to weeks beginning after December 31, 1997.
            (2) Special rule.--In the case of any State the legislature 
        of which has not been in session for at least 30 calendar days 
        (whether or not successive) between the date of the enactment 
        of this Act and December 31, 1997, the amendments made by this 
        section shall apply to weeks beginning after the date which is 
        30 calendar days after the first day on which such legislature 
        is in session on or after December 31, 1997.
                                 <all>