Latest Action: 07/30/2008 - Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 43. Record Vote Number: 192. (consideration: CR S7722; text: CR S7722)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 7/24/2008--Introduced. Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various provisions relating to energy production and conservation and to individual and business-related activities.Extends the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities through 2009 and the tax credit for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities through 2011. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends the energy tax credit for solar energy and the residential energy efficient property tax credit through 2016. Extends the energy tax credits for fuel cell and microturbine property through 2017. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property.[...]

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Latest Action: 06/09/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 771.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 6/6/2008--Introduced. Alternative Minimum Tax and Extenders Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend expiring provisions relating to the alternative minimum tax, individual and business taxpayers, energy conservation, and tax administration. Extends through 2008 for individual taxpayers: (1) the offset of nonrefundable personal tax credits against regular and alternative minimum tax (AMT) liabilities; and (2) the increased AMT exemption amounts. Extends through 2009: (1) the election to deduct state and local sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; (2) the tax deductions for qualified tuition and related expenses and for certain expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers; (3) tax-free distributions from individual retirement accounts (IRAs) for charitable purposes; and (4) tax rules for treatment of [...]

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Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. 9/23/2008--Passed Senate amended.    (There are 3 other summaries) Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify expiring provisions related to energy production and conservation and to provide for revenue enhancements.Title I: Energy Production Incentives - Subtitle A: Renewable Energy Incentives - (Sec. 101) Extends the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources: (1) through 2009 for wind and refined coal facilities; and (2) through 2010 for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal or solar energy, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, and hydropower facilities. Modifies tax credit rules for refined coal, trash, and biomass [...]

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Latest Action: 04/17/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3156-3157)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to amend certain expiring provisions. 4/17/2008--Introduced. Alternative Minimum Tax and Extenders Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend expiring provisions relating to the alternative minimum tax, individual and business taxpayers, energy conservation, and tax administration. Extends through 2008 for individual taxpayers: (1) the offset of nonrefundable personal tax credits against alternative minimum tax (AMT) liability; and (2) increased AMT exemption amounts.Extends through 2009: (1) the election to include combat zone compensation as earned income for purposes of the earned income tax credit; (2) tax-free distributions from individual retirement plans (IRAs) for individuals called or ordered to active military duty and for charitable purposes; (3) the election to deduct state and local sales taxes in lieu of state and local income taxes; (4) the tax deductions for qualified tuition [...]

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Latest Action: 03/03/2008 - Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 587.

Bill Text
A bill to promote home ownership, manufacturing, and economic growth. 2/29/2008--Introduced. Homeownership, Manufacturing, and Economic Growth Act or the HOME Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend expiring income, excise, and alternative minimum tax (AMT) provisions and expand other individual and business-related tax incentives. Directs the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) to undertake certain initiatives to help small businesses and imposes restrictions on litigation deemed frivolous. Extends through 2009 certain expiring tax provisions affecting individual and business taxpayers, including: (1) tax credits for nonbusiness energy property, residential energy efficient property, increasing research activities, Indian employment, railroad track maintenance, energy efficient appliances, and investment in new markets; (2) tax deductions for educational expenses, state and local sales taxes, food and book inventories, and energy efficient commercial [...]

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Latest Action: 02/14/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S1061-1063)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to improve programs carried out through youth opportunity grants, and for other purposes. 2/14/2008--Introduced. Supporting Training and Employment Potential for Underemployed Populations Act, or the STEP UP Act - Amends the Workforce Investment Act of 1998 to revise Youth Opportunity Grant Program requirements to direct the Secretary of Labor to make grants to local boards and eligible entities to carry out programs that provide job training and employment activities and related services to youth and young adults (allows up to 25% of funds to be made available for hard-to-serve young adults) as defined in this Act who live in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or high poverty areas. Earned Income Tax Credit Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends provisions of the Internal Revenue Code (IRC) to revise requirements with respect to the earned income tax credit, including to increase the maximum earned income tax credit [...]

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Latest Action: 10/18/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax relief for small businesses.

10/18/2007--Introduced.

Small Business Tax Relief Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) make permanent the work opportunity tax credit, the new markets tax credit, and the tax credit for increasing research activities; (2) make permanent accelerated depreciation of qualified leasehold improvement and restaurant property and expensing of environmental remediation expenditures; (3) increase the partial tax exclusion of gain from sales of certain small business stock for noncorporate business taxpayers and businesses in an empowerment zone; (4) permit certain small businesses to elect taxable years ending between April and November; (5) increase the allowable number of S corporation shareholders from 100 to 150; and (6) exempt certain small businesses from the 3% withholding requirement applicable to payments made to such businesses by government entities.

Latest Action: 08/03/2007 - Received in the Senate. Read twice. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 331.

Bill Text
Making appropriations for Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies programs for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2008, and for other purposes. 8/2/2007--Passed House amended.    (There are 2 other summaries) Agriculture, Rural Development, Food and Drug Administration, and Related Agencies Appropriations Act, 2008 - Title I: Agricultural Programs - Appropriates FY2008 funds for the following Department of Agriculture (Department) programs and services: (1) Office of the Secretary of Agriculture (Secretary); (2) executive operations; (3) National Appeals Division; (4) Office of Budget and Program Analysis; (5) Homeland Security Staff; (6) Office of the Chief Information Officer; (7) Office of the Chief Financial Officer; (8) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Civil Rights; (9) Office of Civil Rights; (10) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Administration; (11) agriculture buildings and facilities [...]

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Latest Action: 06/14/2007 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend and expand the benefits for businesses operating in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or renewal communities, and for other purposes. 6/14/2007--Introduced. Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to tax-preferred empowerment zones, rural enterprise communities, and renewal communities to: (1) extend the period of designation for such areas through 2015; (2) provide a safe harbor standard for employee residency requirements in empowerment zones; (3) eliminate certain residency requirements for the empowerment zone employment tax credit; (4) grant authority to expand the boundaries of empowerment zones and enterprise communities, including those located in rural areas; (5) allow carryovers of unused expensing allowances for enterprise zone businesses; (6) allow certain empowerment zone businesses to elect to receive payments in lieu [...]

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Latest Action: 06/06/2007 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend and expand the benefits for businesses operating in empowerment zones, enterprise communities, or renewal communities, and for other purposes. 6/6/2007--Introduced. Empowerment Zone and Renewal Community Enhancement Act of 2007 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to tax-preferred empowerment zones, rural enterprise communities, and renewal communities to: (1) extend the period of designation for such areas through 2015; (2) provide a safe harbor standard for employee residency requirements in empowerment zones; (3) eliminate certain residency requirements for the empowerment zone employment tax credit; (4) grant authority to expand the boundaries of empowerment zones and enterprise communities, including those located in rural areas; (5) allow carryovers of unused expensing allowances for enterprise zone businesses; (6) allow certain empowerment zone businesses to elect to receive payments in lieu of tax benefits;[...]

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Latest Action: 07/24/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Early Childhood, Elementary, and Secondary Education.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to expand the incentives for the construction and renovation of public schools. 5/24/2007--Introduced. America's Better Classrooms Act of 2007 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a tax credit for investment in qualified public school modernization bonds, defined to include: (1) bonds for the construction, rehabilitation, or repair of a public school facility or for the acquisition of land for such facility (qualified school construction bonds); and (2) bonds to finance certain academic programs below the postsecondary level in empowerment zones or enterprise communities (qualified zone academy bonds). Establishes a national limitation on the issuance of such bonds and provides for the allocation of bond amounts among the states according to a specified formula. Terminates the authority for issuance of such bonds after 2009.Amends the General Education Provisions Act to apply certain labor standards to public school [...]

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Latest Action: 07/17/2007 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education, Lifelong Learning, and Competitiveness.

Bill Text
To provide job creation and assistance, and for other purposes. 5/22/2007--Introduced. Rural America Job Assistance and Creation Act - Directs the Secretary of Labor to make matching grants to regional consortia meeting specified criteria to improve the job skills necessary for employment in specific industries. Directs the Secretary of Commerce to make grants to establish and support entities that provide business incubator services (necessary to initiate and sustain operations of a newly established business, including legal, intellectual property, and technology services and planning) for small- and medium-sized businesses. Directs the Comptroller General to study how rural infrastructure, venture capital, and federal programs can enhance rural areas. Amends the Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification Act to require employer notification of federal and state elected officials (as well as local ones) before dislocation of workers. Amends the Immigration [...]

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