Minimum Wage Increase and Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 1996

Summary: Minimum Wage Increase and Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 1996 - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the minimum wage rate from the current $4.25 per hour to:  (1) $4.75 per hour for one year beginning 90 days after enactment of this Act; and (2) $5.25 per hour after that year. 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a new work opportunity tax credit.  Redesignates the current targeted jobs credit as the work opportunity credit.  Revises the amount of such credit, members of targeted groups, minimum employment period for eligibility, and termination of the period of new wage payments to which the credit applies.

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Minimum Wage Increase and Work 
Opportunity Tax Credit Act of 1996''.

SEC. 2. INCREASE IN MINIMUM WAGE.

    Paragraph (1) of section 6(a) of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 
1938 (29 U.S.C. 206(a)) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(1) except as otherwise provided in this section, not 
        less than $4.25 an hour during the period ending 90 days after 
        the date of the enactment of the Minimum Wage Increase Act of 
        1996, not less than $4.75 an hour during the year beginning on 
        that date, and not less than $5.25 an hour after the expiration 
        of such year;''.

SEC. 2. WORK OPPORTUNITY TAX CREDIT.

    (a) Reference.--Whenever in this section an amendment or repeal is 
expressed in terms of an amendment to, or repeal of, a section or other 
provision, the reference shall be considered to be made to a section or 
other provision of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
    (b) Amount of Credit.--Subsection (a) of section 51 (relating to 
amount of credit) is amended by striking ``40 percent'' and inserting 
``35 percent''.
    (c) Members of Targeted Groups.--Subsection (d) of section 51 is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(d) Members of Targeted Groups.--For purposes of this subpart--
            ``(1) In general.--An individual is a member of a targeted 
        group if such individual is--
                    ``(A) a qualified IV-A recipient,
                    ``(B) a qualified veteran,
                    ``(C) a qualified ex-felon,
                    ``(D) a high-risk youth,
                    ``(E) a vocational rehabilitation referral, or
                    ``(F) a qualified summer youth employee.
            ``(2) Qualified iv-a recipient.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified IV-A 
                recipient' means any individual who is certified by the 
                designated local agency as being a member of a family 
                receiving assistance under a IV-A program for at least 
                a 9-month period ending during the 9-month period 
                ending on the hiring date.
                    ``(B) IV-A program.--For purposes of this 
                paragraph, the term `IV-A program' means any program 
                providing assistance under a State plan approved under 
                part A of title IV of the Social Security Act (relating 
                to assistance for needy families with minor children) 
                and any successor of such program.
            ``(3) Qualified veteran.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified veteran' 
                means any veteran who is certified by the designated 
                local agency as being--
                            ``(i) a member of a family receiving 
                        assistance under a IV-A program (as defined in 
                        paragraph (2)(B)) for at least a 9-month period 
                        ending during the 12-month period ending on the 
                        hiring date, or
                            ``(ii) a member of a family receiving 
                        assistance under a food stamp program under the 
                        Food Stamp Act of 1977 for at least a 3-month 
                        period ending during the 12-month period ending 
                        on the hiring date.
                    ``(B) Veteran.--For purposes of subparagraph (A), 
                the term `veteran' means any individual who is 
                certified by the designated local agency as--
                            ``(i)(I) having served on active duty 
                        (other than active duty for training) in the 
                        Armed Forces of the United States for a period 
                        of more than 180 days, or
                            ``(II) having been discharged or released 
                        from active duty in the Armed Forces of the 
                        United States for a service-connected 
                        disability, and
                            ``(ii) not having any day during the 60-day 
                        period ending on the hiring date which was a 
                        day of extended active duty in the Armed Forces 
                        of the United States.
                For purposes of clause (ii), the term `extended active 
                duty' means a period of more than 90 days during which 
                the individual was on active duty (other than active 
                duty for training).
            ``(4) Qualified ex-felon.--The term `qualified ex-felon' 
        means any individual who is certified by the designated local 
        agency--
                    ``(A) as having been convicted of a felony under 
                any statute of the United States or any State,
                    ``(B) as having a hiring date which is not more 
                than 1 year after the last date on which such 
                individual was so convicted or was released from 
                prison, and
                    ``(C) as being a member of a family which had an 
                income during the 6 months immediately preceding the 
                earlier of the month in which such income determination 
                occurs or the month in which the hiring date occurs, 
                which, on an annual basis, would be 70 percent or less 
                of the Bureau of Labor Statistics lower living 
                standard.
        Any determination under subparagraph (C) shall be valid for the 
        45-day period beginning on the date such determination is made.
            ``(5) High-risk youth.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `high-risk youth' means 
                any individual who is certified by the designated local 
                agency--
                            ``(i) as having attained age 18 but not age 
                        25 on the hiring date, and
                            ``(ii) as having his principal place of 
                        abode within an empowerment zone or enterprise 
                        community.
                    ``(B) Youth must continue to reside in zone.--In 
                the case of a high-risk youth, the term `qualified 
                wages' shall not include wages paid or incurred for 
                services performed while such youth's principal place 
                of abode is outside an empowerment zone or enterprise 
                community.
            ``(6) Vocational rehabilitation referral.--The term 
        `vocational rehabilitation referral' means any individual who 
        is certified by the designated local agency as--
                    ``(A) having a physical or mental disability which, 
                for such individual, constitutes or results in a 
                substantial handicap to employment, and
                    ``(B) having been referred to the employer upon 
                completion of (or while receiving) rehabilitative 
                services pursuant to--
                            ``(i) an individualized written 
                        rehabilitation plan under a State plan for 
                        vocational rehabilitation services approved 
                        under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, or
                            ``(ii) a program of vocational 
                        rehabilitation carried out under chapter 31 of 
                        title 38, United States Code.
            ``(7) Qualified summer youth employee.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The term `qualified summer youth 
                employee' means any individual--
                            ``(i) who performs services for the 
                        employer between May 1 and September 15,
                            ``(ii) who is certified by the designated 
                        local agency as having attained age 16 but not 
                        18 on the hiring date (or if later, on May 1 of 
                        the calendar year involved),
                            ``(iii) who has not been an employee of the 
                        employer during any period prior to the 90-day 
                        period described in subparagraph (B)(i), and
                            ``(iv) who is certified by the designated 
                        local agency as having his principal place of 
                        abode within an empowerment zone or enterprise 
                        community.
                    ``(B) Special rules for determining amount of 
                credit.--For purposes of applying this subpart to wages 
                paid or incurred to any qualified summer youth 
                employee--
                            ``(i) subsection (b)(2) shall be applied by 
                        substituting `any 90-day period between May 1 
                        and September 15' for `the 1-year period 
                        beginning with the day the individual begins 
                        work for the employer', and
                            ``(ii) subsection (b)(3) shall be applied 
                        by substituting `$3,000' for `$6,000'.
                The preceding sentence shall not apply to an individual 
                who, with respect to the same employer, is certified as 
                a member of another targeted group after such 
                individual has been a qualified summer youth employee.
                    ``(C) Youth must continue to reside in zone.--
                Paragraph (5)(B) shall apply for purposes of this 
                paragraph.
            ``(8) Hiring date.--The term `hiring date' means the day 
        the individual is hired by the employer.
            ``(9) Designated local agency.--The term `designated local 
        agency' means a State employment security agency established in 
        accordance with the Act of June 6, 1933, as amended (29 U.S.C. 
        49-49n).
            ``(10) Special rules for certifications.--
                    ``(A) In general.--An individual shall not be 
                treated as a member of a targeted group unless--
                            ``(i) on or before the day on which such 
                        individual begins work for the employer, the 
                        employer has received a certification from a 
                        designated local agency that such individual is 
                        a member of a targeted group, or
                            ``(ii)(I) on or before the day the 
                        individual is offered employment with the 
                        employer, a pre-screening notice is completed 
                        by the employer with respect to such 
                        individual, and
                            ``(II) not later than the 14th day after 
                        the individual begins work for the employer, 
the employer submits such notice, signed by the employer and the 
individual under penalties of perjury, to the designated local agency 
as part of a written request for such a certification from such agency.
                For purposes of this paragraph, the term `pre-screening 
                notice' means a document (in such form as the Secretary 
                shall prescribe) which contains information provided by 
                the individual on the basis of which the employer 
                believes that the individual is a member of a targeted 
                group.
                    ``(B) Incorrect certifications.--If--
                            ``(i) an individual has been certified by a 
                        designated local agency as a member of a 
                        targeted group, and
                            ``(ii) such certification is incorrect 
                        because it was based on false information 
                        provided by such individual,
                the certification shall be revoked and wages paid by 
                the employer after the date on which notice of 
                revocation is received by the employer shall not be 
                treated as qualified wages.
                    ``(C) Explanation of denial of request.--If a 
                designated local agency denies a request for 
                certification of membership in a targeted group, such 
                agency shall provide to the person making such request 
                a written explanation of the reasons for such denial.''
    (d) Minimum Employment Period.--Paragraph (3) of section 51(i) 
(relating to certain individuals ineligible) is amended to read as 
follows:
            ``(3) Individuals not meeting minimum employment period.--
        No wages shall be taken into account under subsection (a) with 
        respect to any individual unless such individual either--
                    ``(A) is employed by the employer at least 180 days 
                (20 days in the case of a qualified summer youth 
                employee), or
                    ``(B) has completed at least 500 hours (120 hours 
                in the case of a qualified summer youth employee) of 
                services performed for the employer.''
    (e) Termination.--Paragraph (4) of section 51(c) (relating to wages 
defined) is amended to read as follows:
            ``(4) Termination.--The term `wages' shall not include any 
        amount paid or incurred to an individual who begins work for 
        the employer--
                    ``(A) after December 31, 1994, and before January 
                1, 1997, or
                    ``(B) after December 31, 1997.''
    (f) Redesignation of Credit.--
            (1) Sections 38(b)(2) and 51(a) are each amended by 
        striking ``targeted jobs credit'' and inserting ``work 
        opportunity credit''.
            (2) The subpart heading for subpart F of part IV of 
        subchapter A of chapter 1 is amended by striking ``Targeted 
        Jobs Credit'' and inserting ``Work Opportunity Credit''.
            (3) The table of subparts for such part IV is amended by 
        striking ``targeted jobs credit'' and inserting ``work 
        opportunity credit''.
            (4) The heading for paragraph (3) of section 1396(c) is 
        amended by striking ``targeted jobs credit'' and inserting 
        ``work opportunity credit''.
    (g) Technical Amendments.--
            (1) Paragraph (1) of section 51(c) is amended by striking 
        ``, subsection (d)(8)(D),''.
            (2) Paragraph (3) of section 51(i) is amended by striking 
        ``(d)(12)'' each place it appears and inserting ``(d)(6)''.
    (h) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to individuals who begin work for the employer after December 31, 
1996.