[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 496 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 496

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against 
 income tax to individuals who rehabilitate historic homes or who are 
   the first purchasers of rehabilitated historic homes for use as a 
                          principal residence.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             March 20, 1997

 Mr. Chafee (for himself, Mr. Graham, and Mr. Jeffords) introduced the 
 following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 
                                Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a credit against 
 income tax to individuals who rehabilitate historic homes or who are 
   the first purchasers of rehabilitated historic homes for use as a 
                          principal residence.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Historic Homeownership Assistance 
Act''.

SEC. 2. HISTORIC HOMEOWNERSHIP REHABILITATION CREDIT.

    (a) In General.--Subpart A of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to nonrefundable 
personal credits) is amended by inserting after section 23 the 
following new section:

``SEC. 24. HISTORIC HOMEOWNERSHIP REHABILITATION CREDIT.

    ``(a) General Rule.--In the case of an individual, there shall be 
allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter for the 
taxable year an amount equal to 20 percent of the qualified 
rehabilitation expenditures made by the taxpayer with respect to a 
qualified historic home.
    ``(b) Dollar Limitation.--
            ``(1) In general.--The credit allowed by subsection (a) 
        with respect to any residence of a taxpayer shall not exceed 
        $50,000 ($25,000 in the case of a married individual filing a 
        separate return).
            ``(2) Carryforward of credit unused by reason of limitation 
        based on tax liability.--If the credit allowable under 
        subsection (a) for any taxable year exceeds the limitation 
        imposed by section 26(a) for such taxable year reduced by the 
        sum of the credits allowable under this subpart (other than 
        this section), such excess shall be carried to the succeeding 
        taxable year and added to the credit allowable under subsection 
        (a) for such succeeding taxable year.
    ``(c) Qualified Rehabilitation Expenditure.--For purposes of this 
section:
            ``(1) In general.--The term `qualified rehabilitation 
        expenditure' means any amount properly chargeable to capital 
        account--
                    ``(A) in connection with the certified 
                rehabilitation of a qualified historic home, and
                    ``(B) for property for which depreciation would be 
                allowable under section 168 if the qualified historic 
                home were used in a trade or business.
            ``(2) Certain expenditures not included.--
                    ``(A) Exterior.--Such term shall not include any 
                expenditure in connection with the rehabilitation of a 
                building unless at least 5 percent of the total 
                expenditures made in the rehabilitation process are 
                allocable to the rehabilitation of the exterior of such 
                building.
                    ``(B) Other rules to apply.--Rules similar to the 
                rules of clauses (ii) and (iii) of section 47(c)(2)(B) 
                shall apply.
            ``(3) Mixed use or multifamily building.--If only a portion 
        of a building is used as the principal residence of the 
        taxpayer, only qualified rehabilitation expenditures which are 
        properly allocable to such portion shall be taken into account 
        under this section.
    ``(d) Certified Rehabilitation.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) In general.--Except as otherwise provided in this 
        subsection, the term `certified rehabilitation' has the meaning 
        given such term by section 47(c)(2)(C).
            ``(2) Factors to be considered in the case of targeted area 
        residences, etc.--
                    ``(A) In general.--For purposes of applying section 
                47(c)(2)(C) under this section with respect to the 
                rehabilitation of a building to which this paragraph 
                applies, consideration shall be given to--
                            ``(i) the feasibility of preserving 
                        existing architectural and design elements of 
                        the interior of such building,
                            ``(ii) the risk of further deterioration or 
                        demolition of such building in the event that 
                        certification is denied because of the failure 
                        to preserve such interior elements, and
                            ``(iii) the effects of such deterioration 
                        or demolition on neighboring historic 
                        properties.
                    ``(B) Buildings to which this paragraph applies.--
                This paragraph shall apply with respect to any 
                building--
                            ``(i) any part of which is a targeted area 
                        residence within the meaning of section 
                        143(j)(1), or
                            ``(ii) which is located within an 
                        enterprise or empowerment zone,
                but shall not apply with respect to any building which 
                is listed in the National Register.
            ``(3) Approved state program.--The term `certified 
        rehabilitation' includes a certification made by--
                    ``(A) a State Historic Preservation Officer who 
                administers a State Historic Preservation Program 
                approved by the Secretary of the Interior pursuant to 
                section 101(b)(1) of the National Historic Preservation 
                Act, or
                    ``(B) a local government, certified pursuant to 
                section 101(c)(1) of the National Historic Preservation 
                Act and authorized by a State Historic Preservation 
                Officer, or the Secretary of the Interior where there 
                is no approved State program,
        subject to such terms and conditions as may be specified by the 
        Secretary of the Interior for the rehabilitation of buildings 
        within the jurisdiction of such officer (or local government) 
        for purposes of this section.
    ``(e) Definitions and Special Rules.--For purposes of this section:
            ``(1) Qualified historic home.--The term `qualified 
        historic home' means a certified historic structure--
                    ``(A) which has been substantially rehabilitated, 
                and
                    ``(B) which (or any portion of which)--
                            ``(i) is owned by the taxpayer, and
                            ``(ii) is used (or will, within a 
                        reasonable period, be used) by such taxpayer as 
                        his principal residence.
            ``(2) Substantially rehabilitated.--The term `substantially 
        rehabilitated' has the meaning given such term by section 
        47(c)(1)(C); except that, in the case of any building described 
        in subsection (d)(2), clause (i)(I) thereof shall not apply.
            ``(3) Principal residence.--The term `principal residence' 
        has the same meaning as when used in section 1034.
            ``(4) Certified historic structure.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `certified historic 
                structure' has the meaning given such term by section 
                47(c)(3).
                    ``(B) Certain structures included.--Such term 
                includes any building (and its structural components) 
                which is designated as being of historic significance 
                under a statute of a State or local government, if such 
                statute is certified by the Secretary of the Interior 
                to the Secretary as containing criteria which will 
                substantially achieve the purpose of preserving and 
                rehabilitating buildings of historic significance.
            ``(5) Enterprise or empowerment zone.--The term `enterprise 
        or empowerment zone' means any area designated under section 
        1391 as an enterprise community or an empowerment zone.
            ``(6) Rehabilitation not complete before certification.--A 
        rehabilitation shall not be treated as complete before the date 
        of the certification referred to in subsection (d).
            ``(7) Lessees.--A taxpayer who leases his principal 
        residence shall, for purposes of this section, be treated as 
        the owner thereof if the remaining term of the lease (as of the 
        date determined under regulations prescribed by the Secretary) 
        is not less than such minimum period as the regulations 
        require.
            ``(8) Tenant-stockholder in cooperative housing 
        corporation.--If the taxpayer holds stock as a tenant-
        stockholder (as defined in section 216) in a cooperative 
        housing corporation (as defined in such section), such 
        stockholder shall be treated as owning the house or apartment 
        which the taxpayer is entitled to occupy as such stockholder.
    ``(f) When Expenditures Taken Into Account.--In the case of a 
building other than a building to which subsection (g) applies, 
qualified rehabilitation expenditures shall be treated for purposes of 
this section as made--
            ``(1) on the date the rehabilitation is completed, or
            ``(2) to the extent provided by the Secretary by 
        regulation, when such expenditures are properly chargeable to 
        capital account.
Regulations under paragraph (2) shall include a rule similar to the 
rule under section 50(a)(2) (relating to recapture if property ceases 
to qualify for progress expenditures).
    ``(g) Allowance of Credit for Purchase of Rehabilitated Historic 
Home.--
            ``(1) In general.--In the case of a qualified purchased 
        historic home, the taxpayer shall be treated as having made (on 
        the date of purchase) the qualified rehabilitation expenditures 
        made by the seller of such home.
            ``(2) Qualified purchased historic home.--For purposes of 
        this subsection, the term `qualified purchased historic home' 
        means any substantially rehabilitated certified historic 
        structure purchased by the taxpayer if--
                    ``(A) the taxpayer is the first purchaser of such 
                structure after the date rehabilitation is completed, 
                and the purchase occurs within 5 years after such date,
                    ``(B) the structure (or a portion thereof) will, 
                within a reasonable period, be the principal residence 
                of the taxpayer,
                    ``(C) no credit was allowed to the seller under 
                this section or section 47 with respect to such 
                rehabilitation, and
                    ``(D) the taxpayer is furnished with such 
                information as the Secretary determines is necessary to 
                determine the credit under this subsection.
    ``(h) Historic Rehabilitation Mortgage Credit Certificate.--
            ``(1) In general.--The taxpayer may elect, in lieu of the 
        credit otherwise allowable under this section, to receive a 
        historic rehabilitation mortgage credit certificate. An 
        election under this paragraph shall be made--
                    ``(A) in the case of a building to which subsection 
                (g) applies, at the time of purchase, or
                    ``(B) in any other case, at the time rehabilitation 
                is completed.
            ``(2) Historic rehabilitation mortgage credit 
        certificate.--For purposes of this subsection, the term 
        `historic rehabilitation mortgage credit certificate' means a 
        certificate--
                    ``(A) issued to the taxpayer, in accordance with 
                procedures prescribed by the Secretary, with respect to 
                a certified rehabilitation,
                    ``(B) the face amount of which shall be equal to 
                the credit which would (but for this subsection) be 
                allowable under subsection (a) to the taxpayer with 
                respect to such rehabilitation,
                    ``(C) which may only be transferred by the taxpayer 
                to a lending institution in connection with a loan--
                            ``(i) that is secured by the building with 
                        respect to which the credit relates, and
                            ``(ii) the proceeds of which may not be 
                        used for any purpose other than the acquisition 
                        or rehabilitation of such building, and
                    ``(D) in exchange for which such lending 
                institution provides the taxpayer--
                            ``(i) a reduction in the rate of interest 
                        on the loan which results in interest payment 
                        reductions which are substantially equivalent 
                        on a present value basis to the face amount of 
                        such certificate, or
                            ``(ii) if the taxpayer so elects with 
                        respect to a specified amount of the face 
                        amount of such a certificate relating to a 
                        building--
                                    ``(I) which is a targeted area 
                                residence within the meaning of section 
                                143(j)(1), or
                                    ``(II) which is located in an 
                                enterprise or empowerment zone,
                        a payment which is substantially equivalent to 
                        such specified amount to be used to reduce the 
                        taxpayer's cost of purchasing the building (and 
                        only the remainder of such face amount shall be 
                        taken into account under clause (i)).
            ``(3) Use of certificate by lender.--The amount of the 
        credit specified in the certificate shall be allowed to the 
        lender only to offset the regular tax (as defined in section 
        55(c)) of such lender. The lender may carry forward all unused 
amounts under this subsection until exhausted.
    ``(i) Recapture.--
            ``(1) In general.--If, before the end of the 5-year period 
        beginning on the date on which the rehabilitation of the 
        building is completed (or, if subsection (g) applies, the date 
        of purchase of such building by the taxpayer)--
                    ``(A) the taxpayer disposes of such taxpayer's 
                interest in such building, or
                    ``(B) such building ceases to be used as the 
                principal residence of the taxpayer,
        the taxpayer's tax imposed by this chapter for the taxable year 
        in which such disposition or cessation occurs shall be 
        increased by the recapture percentage of the credit allowed 
        under this section for all prior taxable years with respect to 
        such rehabilitation.
            ``(2) Recapture percentage.--For purposes of paragraph (1), 
        the recapture percentage shall be determined in accordance with 
        the table under section 50(a)(1)(B), deeming such table to be 
        amended--
                    ``(A) by striking `If the property ceases to be 
                investment credit property within--' and inserting `If 
                the disposition or cessation occurs within--', and
                    ``(B) in clause (i) by striking `One full year 
                after placed in service' and inserting `One full year 
                after the taxpayer becomes entitled to the credit'.
    ``(j) Basis Adjustments.--For purposes of this subtitle, if a 
credit is allowed under this section for any expenditure with respect 
to any property (including any purchase under subsection (g) and any 
transfer under subsection (h)), the increase in the basis of such 
property which would (but for this subsection) result from such 
expenditure shall be reduced by the amount of the credit so allowed.
    ``(k) Processing Fees.--Any State may impose a fee for the 
processing of applications for the certification of any rehabilitation 
under this section provided that the amount of such fee is used only to 
defray expenses associated with the processing of such applications.
    ``(l) Denial of Double Benefit.--No credit shall be allowed under 
this section for any amount for which credit is allowed under section 
47.
    ``(m) Regulations.--The Secretary shall prescribe such regulations 
as may be appropriate to carry out the purposes of this section, 
including regulations where less than all of a building is used as a 
principal residence and where more than 1 taxpayer use the same 
dwelling unit as their principal residence.''
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--Subsection (a) of section 1016 of such 
Code is amended by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (25), by 
striking the period at the end of paragraph (26) and inserting ``, 
and'', and by adding at the end the following new item:
            ``(27) to the extent provided in section 24(j).''
    (c) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart A of 
part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by 
inserting after the item relating to section 23 the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 24. Historic homeownership 
                                        rehabilitation credit.''
    (d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to rehabilitations the physical work on which begins 
after the date of enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>