RAISE Act

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide a refundable tax credit for certain teachers as a supplement to State effort to provide teachers with a livable wage, and for other purposes. 1. Short title This Act may be cited as the Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act RAISE Act 2. Refundable teacher tax credit (a) Allowance of tax credit (1) In general Subpart C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 36C. Teacher tax credit (a) Credit allowed In the case of an individual who is an eligible educator during school years ending with or within the taxable year, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax imposed by this chapter an amount equal to the sum of— (1) $500, plus (2) in the case of an eligible educator who is employed at a qualifying school, the applicable amount. (b) Applicable amount For purposes of subsection (a), the applicable amount is the amount which bears the same ratio (not to exceed one) to $9,500 ($7,500, in the case of any early childhood educator without a bachelor's degree) as— (1) the number of percentage points by which the student poverty ratio for such qualifying school exceeds 49 percent, bears to (2) 26 percentage points. (c) Eligible educator For purposes of this section— (1) In general The term eligible educator (A) any elementary or secondary teacher, and (B) any early childhood educator. (2) Elementary or secondary teacher (A) In general The term elementary or secondary teacher (i) is a teacher of record who provides direct classroom teaching (or classroom-type teaching in a nonclassroom setting) in a public elementary school or a public secondary school for not less than 75 percent of the normal or statutory number of hours of work for a full-time teacher over a complete school year (as determined by the State in which the school is located), (ii) meets applicable State certification and licensure requirements, including any requirements for certification obtained through alternative routes to certification, in the State in which such school is located in the subject area in which the individual is the teacher of record, and (iii) has met the requirements of clauses (i) and (ii) for a period of not less than 1 year before the first day of the taxable year. (B) Teacher of record For purposes of subparagraph (A), the term teacher of record (3) Early childhood educator The term early childhood educator (A) has— (i) an associate's degree or higher, or (ii) credentials or a license under State law for early childhood education, (B) has primary responsibility for the learning and development of children in an early childhood education program (as defined in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1003 (C) has met the requirements of subparagraphs (A) and (B) for a period of not less than 1 year before the first day of the taxable year. (d) Qualifying school (1) In general The term qualifying school (A) a public elementary school or a public secondary school that— (i) is in the school district of a local educational agency that is eligible in such year for assistance pursuant to part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311 (ii) is served by an educational service agency, or a location operated by an educational service agency, that is eligible, for the year in which the determination is made, for assistance under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311 (B) an elementary school or secondary school that is funded by the Bureau of Indian Education and that is in the school district of a local educational agency that is eligible in such year for assistance pursuant to part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311 (C) an early childhood education program (as defined in section 103 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1003 42 U.S.C. 9858 42 U.S.C. 1766 (2) ESEA definitions For purposes of this subsection, the terms educational service agency elementary school local educational agency secondary school State educational agency 20 U.S.C. 7801 (e) Student poverty ratio (1) In general The term student poverty ratio (A) with respect to any qualifying school described in subparagraph (A) or (B) of subsection (d)(1), the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of— (i) the total number of children served at such qualifying school meeting at least one measure of poverty described in section 1113(a)(5) of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6313(a)(5) (ii) the total number of children served at such qualifying school, and (B) with respect to any qualifying school described in subsection (d)(1)(C), the ratio (expressed as a percentage) of— (i) the total number of children attending such qualifying school who are eligible for the Child Care and Development Block Grant of 1990 ( 42 U.S.C. 9858 42 U.S.C. 1766 (ii) the total number of children attending such qualifying school. (2) Determination of ratio In determining the student poverty ratio with respect to a qualifying school under paragraph (1)(A), the Secretary shall use the same measure of poverty as is used for purposes of determining the allocation of funds under part A of title I of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6311 (f) Inflation adjustment (1) In general In the case of any taxable year beginning after 2019, each of the dollar amounts in subsections (a) and (b) shall be increased by an amount equal to— (A) such dollar amount, multiplied by (B) the cost-of-living adjustment determined under section 1(f)(3) for the calendar year in which the taxable year begins, determined by substituting in subparagraph (A)(ii) thereof calendar year 2018 calendar year 2016 (2) Rounding If any increase determined under paragraph (1) is not a multiple of $50, such increase shall be rounded to the nearest multiple of $50. . (2) Conforming amendments (A) The table of sections for subpart C of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 Sec. 36C. Teacher tax credit. . (B) Section 6211(b)(4)(A) of such Code is amended by inserting 36C, 36B, (C) Section 1324(b)(2) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by inserting 36C, 36B, (b) Information sharing The Secretary of Education shall provide such information as necessary to the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's delegate) for purposes of determining whether a school is a qualifying school (as defined in section 36C (c) Supplementation of State and local educational funds A State educational agency or local educational agency (as such terms are defined in section 8101 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 7801 section 36C (d) Employer limitations (1) Prohibition of use in collective bargaining An employer that engages in collective bargaining with employees who are eligible educators, as defined in section 36C(c) (2) Prohibition of use as punishment or retribution An employer of an eligible educator, as defined in section 36C (A) prevent the eligible educator from receiving a teacher tax credit under section 36C of such Code; or (B) reduce the amount of the teacher tax credit that the eligible educator will receive. (3) Enforcement Notwithstanding any other provision of law, the Federal Labor Relations Authority shall have the authority to investigate and enforce any alleged violation of this section in the same manner, and subject to the same procedures, as would apply to an allegation of an unfair labor practice under section 7118 of title 5, United States Code. (4) Definition In this subsection— (A) the term affecting commerce 29 U.S.C. 152 (B) the term employee (C) the term employer (e) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 3. Increase in and expansion of deduction for expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers (a) Increase (1) In general Subparagraph (D) of section 62(a)(2) $250 $500 (2) Inflation adjustment Section 62(d)(3) of such Code is amended— (A) by striking 2015 2019 (B) by striking the $250 amount each of the dollar amounts (C) by striking 2014 2018 (b) Expansion to early childhood educators Section 62(d)(1) (1) by striking who is a kindergarten who is— (A) a kindergarten ; (2) by striking the period at the end and inserting , and (3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph: (B) an early childhood educator (as defined in section 200 of the Higher Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 1021 20 U.S.C. 1003 . (c) Effective date The amendments made by this section shall apply to amounts paid or incurred in taxable years beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act. 4. Mandatory funding to support local educational agencies that maintain or increase teacher salaries Section 2003 of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 ( 20 U.S.C. 6603 (1) in the section heading, by striking Authorization of appropriations Funding (2) by striking subsection (a) and inserting the following: (a) Appropriations for part A (1) In general There are authorized to be appropriated, and there are appropriated, out of any funds not otherwise appropriated— (A) for fiscal year 2020, $3,200,000,000 to carry out part A; and (B) for fiscal year 2021 and each succeeding fiscal year, the amount appropriated under this paragraph for the preceding year, increased by a percentage equal to the annual percentage increase in the Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers published by the Department of Labor for the most recent calendar year. (2) Reservation for teacher salary incentive grants (A) Definitions In this paragraph: (i) Eligible local educational agency The term eligible local educational agency (ii) Teacher salary incentive reservation The term teacher salary incentive reservation (B) In general For each fiscal year for which the total amount appropriated under paragraph (1) is greater than $2,200,000,000, the Secretary shall, after making any reservations under section 2101(a), reserve and use the teacher salary incentive reservation to award grants, based on allotments under subparagraph (C), to eligible local educational agencies for purposes described in subparagraph (E). (C) Allotments An allotment under this subparagraph for a fiscal year to an eligible local educational agency shall bear the same relationship to the teacher salary incentive reservation as the number of children counted under section 1124(c) who are served by the local educational agency bears to the total number of such children counted under such section served by all eligible local educational agencies that submitted an application under subparagraph (D). (D) Application An eligible local educational agency desiring an allotment under this paragraph shall submit to the Secretary an application at such time, in such manner, and containing such information as the Secretary may require. (E) Use of funds A local educational agency receiving an allotment under subparagraph (C) may use the allotment for any program or activity described in section 2103(b) that the local educational agency selects. (F) Supplement, not supplant A local educational agency receiving an allotment under subparagraph (C) shall use the allotment to supplement, and not supplant, any State funds or efforts to raise teacher pay. .

Summary: Respect, Advancement, and Increasing Support for Educators Act or the RAISE Act This bill allows a refundable tax credit for elementary or secondary school teachers or early childhood educators in schools with a certain poverty rate, increases the tax deduction for the expenses of elementary and secondary school teachers, and provides funding for local educational agencies that maintain or increase teacher salaries.