[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 72 (Thursday, April 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Pages S2620-S2621]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

      By Mr. DURBIN (for himself and Ms. Duckworth):
  S. 983. A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify 
the work opportunity credit for certain youth employees, and to extend 
empowerment zones; to the Committee on Finance.
  Mr. DURBIN. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of 
the bill be printed in the Record.
  There being no objection, the text of the bill was ordered to be 
printed in the Record, as follows:

                                 S. 983

       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 ``Helping to Encourage Real 
     Opportunities (HERO) for At-Risk Youth Act''.

     SEC. 2. MODIFICATION AND EXTENSION OF WORK OPPORTUNITY CREDIT 
                   FOR CERTAIN YOUTH EMPLOYEES.

       (a) Expansion of Credit for Summer Youth.--
       (1) Credit allowed for year-round employment.--Section 
     51(d)(7)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended--
       (A) by striking clauses (i) and (iii) and redesignating 
     clauses (ii) and (iv) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively,
       (B) in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking ``(or 
     if later, on May 1 of the calendar year involved),'' and 
     inserting ``, and'', and
       (C) by adding at the end the following new clause:
       ``(iii) who will be employed for not more than 20 hours per 
     week during any period between September 16 and April 30 in 
     which such individual is regularly attending any secondary 
     school.''.
       (2) Increase in credit amount.--Section 51(d)(7) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking 
     subparagraph (B) and by redesignating subparagraph (C) as 
     subparagraph (B).
       (3) Conforming amendments.--
       (A) Subparagraph (F) of section 51(d)(1) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``summer''.
       (B) Paragraph (7) of section 51(d) of such Code is 
     amended--
       (i) by striking ``summer'' each place it appears in 
     subparagraphs (A),
       (ii) in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph (2), 
     by striking ``subparagraph (A)(iv)'' and inserting 
     ``subparagraph (A)(ii)'', and
       (iii) by striking ``summer'' in the heading thereof.
       (b) Credit for At-risk Youth.--
       (1) In general.--Paragraph (1) of section 51(d) of the 
     Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``or'' 
     at the end of subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the 
     end of subparagraph (J) and inserting ``, or'' , and by 
     adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
       ``(K) an at-risk youth.''.
       (2) At-risk youth.--Paragraph (14) of section 51(d) of such 
     Code is amended to read as follows:
       ``(14) At-risk youth.--The term `at-risk youth' means any 
     individual who is certified by the designated local agency--
       ``(A) as--
       ``(i) having attained age 16 but not age 25 on the hiring 
     date,
       ``(ii) as not regularly attending any secondary, technical, 
     or post-secondary school during the 6-month period preceding 
     the hiring date,
       ``(iii) as not regularly employed during such 6-month 
     period, and
       ``(iv) as not readily employable by reason of lacking a 
     sufficient number of basic skills, or
       ``(B) as--
       ``(i) having attained age 16 but not age 21 on the hiring 
     date, and
       ``(ii) an eligible foster child (as defined in section 
     152(f)(1)(C)) who was in foster care during the 12-month 
     period ending on the hiring date.''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall apply to individuals who begin work for the employer 
     after the date of the enactment of this Act.

     SEC. 3. EXTENSION OF EMPOWERMENT ZONES.

       (a) In General.--Section 1391(d)(1)(A)(i) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``December 31, 
     2016'' and inserting ``December 31, 2019''.
       (b) Treatment of Certain Termination Dates Specified in 
     Nominations.--In the case of a designation of an empowerment 
     zone the nomination for which included a termination date 
     which is contemporaneous with the date specified in 
     subparagraph (A)(i) of section 1391(d)(1) of the Internal 
     Revenue Code of 1986 (as in effect before the

[[Page S2621]]

     enactment of this Act), subparagraph (B) of such section 
     shall not apply with respect to such designation if, after 
     the date of the enactment of this section, the entity which 
     made such nomination amends the nomination to provide for a 
     new termination date in such manner as the Secretary of the 
     Treasury (or the Secretary's designee) may provide.
                                 ______