[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1291 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1291

  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow small business 
  employers a credit against income tax for certain expenses for long-
  term training of employees in highly skilled small business trades.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             June 28, 1999

  Mr. DeWine 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 allow small business 
  employers a credit against income tax for certain expenses for long-
  term training of employees in highly skilled small business trades.

    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 ``Skilled Workforce Enhancement Act of 
1999''.

SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR EXPENSES FOR LONG-TERM TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES IN 
              HIGHLY SKILLED SMALL BUSINESS TRADES.

    (a) In General.--Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to business-related 
credits) is amended by adding at the end the following new section:

``SEC. 45D. EXPENSES FOR LONG-TERM TRAINING OF EMPLOYEES IN HIGHLY 
              SKILLED SMALL BUSINESS TRADES.

    ``(a) General Rule.--For purposes of section 38, in the case of a 
small business employer, the highly skilled trades training credit 
determined under this section for the taxable year is $15,000 for each 
employee having a qualified training year ending with or within such 
taxable year (whether or not such employee is an employee of the 
taxpayer as of the close of such taxable year).
    ``(b) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Small business employer.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `small business 
                employer' means, with respect to any taxable year, any 
                employer who employed an average of 250 or fewer 
                employees on business days during such taxable year.
                    ``(B) Controlled groups.--For purposes of 
                subparagraph (A), all persons treated as a single 
                employer under subsection (b), (c), (m), or (o) of 
                section 414 shall be treated as a single employer.
            ``(2) Qualified training year.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified training 
                year' means each year during the training period in 
                which the employee received at least 2,000 hours of 
                training (including on-the-job training) from the 
                taxpayer (or any predecessor) as an apprentice in any 
                highly skilled trade.
                    ``(B) Highly skilled trades.--For purposes of 
                subparagraph (A), the term `highly skilled trades' 
                means--
                            ``(i) precision machinists,
                            ``(ii) die makers,
                            ``(iii) mold makers,
                            ``(iv) tool and die designers,
                            ``(v) heating, ventilating, air 
                        conditioning, refrigeration, plumbing, 
                        pipefitting, and roofing contractors,
                            ``(vi) the trade of masonry, and
                            ``(vii) other highly skilled trades 
                        specified in regulations prescribed by the 
                        Secretary.
                Such term shall not include any trade if the customary 
                apprenticeship period for such trade is less than 2 
                years.
            ``(3) Training period.--The term `training period' means, 
        with respect to an employee, the period--
                    ``(A) beginning on the date that the employee 
                begins employment with the taxpayer as an apprentice in 
                the highly skilled trade, and
                    ``(B) ending on the earlier of--
                            ``(i) the date that such apprenticeship 
                        with the employer ends, or
                            ``(ii) the date which is 4 years after the 
                        date referred to in subparagraph (A).
    ``(c) Coordination With Other Credits.--The amount of credit 
otherwise allowable under sections 51(a) and 1396(a) with respect to 
any employee shall be reduced by the credit allowed by this section 
with respect to such employee.''.
    (b) Credit Made Part of General Business Credit.--Subsection (b) of 
section 38 of such Code is amended by striking ``plus'' at the end of 
paragraph (11), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (12) and 
inserting ``, plus'', and by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(13) in the case of a small business employer (as defined 
        in section 45D(b)), the highly skilled trades training credit 
        determined under section 45D(a).''.
    (c) Denial of Double Benefit.--Section 280C of such Code is amended 
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
    ``(d) Credit for Training Expenses for Employees in Highly Skilled 
Small Business Trades.--No deduction shall be allowed for that portion 
of the expenses otherwise allowable as a deduction for the taxable year 
which is equal to the amount of the credit determined for the taxable 
year under section 45D(a).''.
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart D of 
part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 45D. Expenses for long-term 
                                        training of employees in highly 
                                        skilled small business 
                                        trades.''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to expenses paid or incurred in the taxable years ending after 
the date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>