Corporate Voices is devoted to tracking legislation that will have a discernable impact on business and their employees. We are currently tracking legislation that falls under our main program areas. Below, we have summarized the bills we are tracking in the current 112th Congress.
(click here for legislation from the 111th Congress)
| Bill Title & Number | Key Sponsor | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
| House | |||
|
Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2011 |
Rep Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [D-MD2] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the credit for employers establishing workplace child care facilities, to increase the child care credit to encourage greater use of quality child care services, to provide incentives for students to earn child care-related degrees and to work in child care facilities, and to increase the exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance. |
5/4/2011 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Saving America's Youth: the Youth Employment Act of 2011 |
Rep Rush, Bobby L. [D-IL1] |
Amends the Workforce Act of 1998 regarding the work opportunity tax credit with respect to disconnected youth (who are not regularly attending school, not regularly employed, nor readily employable) hired in 2009 or 2010 under the youth opportunity grants program to lower the maximum eligibility age of such youth from 24 to 21. Directs the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to make certain allotments to states for summer jobs programs for disconnected youth. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the work opportunity tax credit through calendar 2016, (2) include as a member of a targeted group for purposes of such credit a qualified Title 1-B youth services recipient and rename a "qualified ex-felon" as a "qualified ex-offender" for purposes of the credit, (3) double the amount of allowable wages that may be considered in calculating such credit, (4) extend the designation period for tax-preferred empowerment zones, and (5) allow an employer tax credit through 2013 for the employment of disconnected youth. |
9/8/2011 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training. |
|
Pathways Back to Work Act of 2011 |
Rep Miller, George [D-CA7] |
Supports Job Creation for Struggling Working Families. The bill provides an immediate economic boost and relief to families who have been struggling with unemployment through a $2 billion fund to create jobs for unemployed adults. Provides Summer and Year Round Job Opportunities for Youth: The bill includes $1.5 billion in funding for programs to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth. Creates Competitive Grant for Work-Related Training for Unemployed Adults and Youth: The bill invests $1.5 billion in work-based training or education programs for unemployed, low-income adults and youth. |
11/15/2011 - Referred to the House Committee on Education and the Workforce. |
|
Employee Educational Assistance Act of 2012 |
Rep Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3] |
Makes permanent the exclusion from gross income for employer-provided educational assistance. |
3/5/2012 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
| Senate | |||
|
On-the-Job Training Act of 2011 |
Sen Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH] |
The On-the-Job Training Act of 2011 authorizes the Department of Labor to award competitive grants to establish and support local OJT programs. OJT programs, which connect unemployed workers with jobs and provide employers with training subsidies, have a proven track record of helping unemployed workers gain new skills to find and retain employment. OJT programs also provide important incentives to small businesses to encourage job growth. The legislation is similar to a bill introduced by Shaheen and Cochran last year. |
6/9/2011 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. |
|
21st Century Readiness Act |
Sen Hagan, Kay [D-NC] |
Amends the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA) to support 21st century readiness initiatives that fuse core academic subject knowledge and higher-order thinking skills (such as critical thinking and problem solving, communication, collaboration, creativity, and innovation) to ensure that students are prepared for postsecondary education and careers, upon graduation from secondary school. |
6/9/2011 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. |
|
Pathways Back to Work Act of 2011 |
Sen Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT] |
Supports Job Creation for Struggling Working Families. The bill provides an immediate economic boost and relief to families who have been struggling with unemployment through a $2 billion fund to create jobs for unemployed adults. Provides Summer and Year Round Job Opportunities for Youth: The bill includes $1.5 billion in funding for programs to provide summer and year-round employment opportunities for youth. Creates Competitive Grant for Work-Related Training for Unemployed Adults and Youth: The bill invests $1.5 billion in work-based training or education programs for unemployed, low-income adults and youth. |
11/15/2011 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. |
|
The Workforce Innovation for New Jobs and Applied Education Act (WIN Jobs) |
Sen Pryor, Mark [D-AR] |
Establishes a competitive grant program for consortiums made up of businesses, colleges and workforce development boards to implement career path training, skill certification and on-the-job training programs. Second, the legislation strengthens the Department of Labor’s Registered Apprenticeship program, and adds a new emphasis on emerging industries such as engineering, communications, healthcare, information technology, green technology, energy and disaster preparedness. Third, the legislation provides for a payroll tax credit for participating businesses, as well as a tuition assistance tax deduction if a participating company helps cover tuition for an employee while he or she attends college. |
12/6/2011 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
Science, Technology, Engineering, and Mathematics Visa Act of 2011 |
Sen Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO] |
Amends the Immigration and Nationality Act to establish a priority worker immigrant visa for an alien who has a qualifying: (1) master's or higher degree in a field of science, technology, engineering, or mathematics (STEM degree) from a U.S. institution of higher education; and (2) employment offer from a U.S. employer.
Eliminates the foreign residency requirement for certain foreign students. Allows extensions of stay based upon a lengthy labor certification or priority adjudication for: (1) foreign students, (2) speciality occupation aliens, and (3) intracompany transfers. Provides for the recapture of unused employment-based and family-based immigrant visas. Exempts spouses and minor children from counting against numerical limits. Revises per country (and dependent) area limits to: (1) eliminate employment-based limits, and (2) increase family-based limits. |
12/13/2011 - Read twice and referred to the Committee on the Judiciary. |