[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1634 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1634

   To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a credit for 
                   residential solar energy property.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           September 24, 1999

  Mr. Allard 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 a credit for 
                   residential solar energy property.

    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 ``Residential Solar Energy Tax Credit 
Act''.

SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY PROPERTY.

    (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 25A the 
following new section:

``SEC. 25B. RESIDENTIAL SOLAR ENERGY PROPERTY.

    ``(a) Allowance of Credit.--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 the sum of--
            ``(1) 15 percent of the qualified photovoltaic property 
        expenditures made by the taxpayer during such year, and
            ``(2) 15 percent of the qualified solar water heating 
        property expenditures made by the taxpayer during the taxable 
        year.
    ``(b) Limitations.--
            ``(1) Maximum credit.--The credit allowed under subsection 
        (a)(2) shall not exceed $2,000 for each system of solar energy 
        property.
            ``(2) Type of property.--No expenditure may be taken into 
        account under this section unless such expenditure is made by 
        the taxpayer for property installed on or in connection with a 
        dwelling unit which is located in the United States and which 
        is used as a residence.
            ``(3) Safety certifications.--No credit shall be allowed 
        under this section for an item of property unless--
                    ``(A) in the case of solar water heating equipment, 
                such equipment is certified for performance and safety 
                by the non-profit Solar Rating Certification 
                Corporation or a comparable entity endorsed by the 
                government of the State in which such property is 
                installed, and
                    ``(B) in the case of a photovoltaic system, such 
                system meets appropriate fire and electric code 
                requirements.
    ``(c) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Qualified solar water heating property expenditure.--
        The term `qualified solar water heating property expenditure' 
        means an expenditure for property that uses solar energy to 
        heat water for use in a dwelling unit with respect to which a 
        majority of the energy is derived from the sun.
            ``(2) Qualified photovoltaic property expenditure.--The 
        term `qualified photovoltaic property expenditure' means an 
        expenditure for property that uses solar energy to generate 
        electricity for use in a dwelling unit.
            ``(3) Solar panels.--No expenditure relating to a solar 
        panel or other property installed as a roof (or portion 
        thereof) shall fail to be treated as property described in 
        paragraph (1) or (2) solely because it constitutes a structural 
        component of the structure on which it is installed.
            ``(4) Labor costs.--Expenditures for labor costs properly 
        allocable to the onsite preparation, assembly, or original 
        installation of the property described in paragraph (1) or (2) 
        and for piping or wiring to interconnect such property to the 
        dwelling unit shall be taken into account for purposes of this 
        section.
            ``(5) Swimming pools, etc., used as storage medium.--
        Expenditures which are properly allocable to a swimming pool, 
        hot tub, or any other energy storage medium which has a 
        function other than the function of such storage shall not be 
        taken into account for purposes of this section.
    ``(d) Special Rules.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Dollar amounts in case of joint occupancy.--In the 
        case of any dwelling unit which is jointly occupied and used 
during any calendar year as a residence by 2 or more individuals the 
following shall apply:
                    ``(A) The amount of the credit allowable under 
                subsection (a) by reason of expenditures (as the case 
                may be) made during such calendar year by any of such 
                individuals with respect to such dwelling unit shall be 
                determined by treating all of such individuals as 1 
                taxpayer whose taxable year is such calendar year.
                    ``(B) There shall be allowable with respect to such 
                expenditures to each of such individuals, a credit 
                under subsection (a) for the taxable year in which such 
                calendar year ends in an amount which bears the same 
                ratio to the amount determined under subparagraph (A) 
                as the amount of such expenditures made by such 
                individual during such calendar year bears to the 
                aggregate of such expenditures made by all of such 
                individuals during such calendar year.
            ``(2) Tenant-stockholder in cooperative housing 
        corporation.--In the case of an individual who is a tenant-
        stockholder (as defined in section 216) in a cooperative 
        housing corporation (as defined in such section), such 
        individual shall be treated as having made his tenant-
        stockholder's proportionate share (as defined in section 
        216(b)(3)) of any expenditures of such corporation.
            ``(3) Condominiums.--
                    ``(A) In general.--In the case of an individual who 
                is a member of a condominium management association 
                with respect to a condominium which he owns, such 
                individual shall be treated as having made his 
                proportionate share of any expenditures of such 
                association.
                    ``(B) Condominium management association.--For 
                purposes of this paragraph, the term `condominium 
                management association' means an organization which 
                meets the requirements of paragraph (1) of section 
                528(c) (other than subparagraph (E) thereof) with 
                respect to a condominium project substantially all of 
                the units of which are used as residences.
            ``(4) Joint ownership of items of solar energy property.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Any expenditure otherwise 
                qualifying as an expenditure described in paragraph (1) 
                or (2) of subsection (c) shall not be treated as 
                failing to so qualify merely because such expenditure 
                was made with respect to 2 or more dwelling units.
                    ``(B) Limits applied separately.--In the case of 
                any expenditure described in subparagraph (A), the 
                amount of the credit allowable under subsection (a) 
                shall (subject to paragraph (1)) be computed separately 
                with respect to the amount of the expenditure made for 
                each dwelling unit.
            ``(5) Allocation in certain cases.--If less than 80 percent 
        of the use of an item is for nonbusiness residential purposes, 
        only that portion of the expenditures for such item which is 
        properly allocable to use for nonbusiness residential purposes 
        shall be taken into account. For purposes of this paragraph, 
        use for a swimming pool shall be treated as use which is not 
        for residential purposes.
            ``(6) When expenditure made; amount of expenditure.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Except as provided in 
                subparagraph (B), an expenditure with respect to an 
                item shall be treated as made when the original 
                installation of the item is completed.
                    ``(B) Expenditures part of building construction.--
                In the case of an expenditure in connection with the 
                construction or reconstruction of a structure, such 
                expenditure shall be treated as made when the original 
                use of the constructed or reconstructed structure by 
                the taxpayer begins.
                    ``(C) Amount.--The amount of any expenditure shall 
                be the cost thereof.
    ``(e) Basis Adjustments.--For purposes of this subtitle, if a 
credit is allowed under this section for any expenditure with respect 
to any property, 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.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Subsection (a) of section 1016 of such Code is amended 
        by striking ``and'' at the end of paragraph (26), by striking 
        the period at the end of paragraph (27) and inserting ``; 
        and'', and by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
            ``(28) to the extent provided in section 25B(e), in the 
        case of amounts with respect to which a credit has been allowed 
        under section 25B.''.
            (2) 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 25A the following new item:

                              ``Sec. 25B. Residential solar energy 
                                        property.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to taxable years ending after December 31, 1999.
                                 <all>