LEAP Act
Bill: H.R.5972 | Sponsor: Rep. Davis, Rodney (R-IL)
Policy area: Taxation

Summary:
Leveraging and Energizing America's Apprenticeship Programs Act or the LEAP Act
This bill allows employers a business-related tax credit of $1,500 for hiring an apprenticeship employee who has not attained age 25 at the close of the taxable year or $1,000 for an apprenticeship employee who has attained age 25.
The bill allows the credit for no more than two taxable years with respect to any apprenticeship employee. An apprenticeship employee is an employee who is employed in an officially-recognized apprenticeable occupation pursuant to an apprentice agreement registered with the Office of Apprenticeship of the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of Labor or a state apprenticeship agency.
The Office of Management and Budget must coordinate with federal departments and independent agencies to (1) determine which government publications could be available on government websites and no longer printed, (2) devise a strategy to reduce overall government printing costs over the 10-year period beginning with FY2020, (3) establish government-wide guidelines on employee printing, and (4) issue guidelines for publicly disclosing information about the publication of government documents.

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow employers a credit 
     against income tax for employees who participate in qualified 
                        apprenticeship programs.

    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 ``Leveraging and Energizing America's 
Apprenticeship Programs Act'' or the ``LEAP Act''.

SEC. 2. CREDIT FOR EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP 
              PROGRAMS.

    (a) In General.--Subpart D of part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end 
the following new section:

``SEC. 45U. EMPLOYEES PARTICIPATING IN QUALIFIED APPRENTICESHIP 
              PROGRAMS.

    ``(a) In General.--For purposes of section 38, the apprenticeship 
credit determined under this section for the taxable year is an amount 
equal to the sum of the applicable credit amounts (as determined under 
subsection (b)) for each of the apprenticeship employees of the 
employer that exceeds the applicable apprenticeship level (as 
determined under subsection (e)) during such taxable year.
    ``(b) Applicable Credit Amount.--For purposes of subsection (a), 
the applicable credit amount for each apprenticeship employee for each 
taxable year is equal to--
            ``(1) in the case of an apprenticeship employee who has not 
        attained 25 years of age at the close of the taxable year, 
        $1,500, or
            ``(2) in the case of an apprenticeship employee who has 
        attained 25 years of age at the close of the taxable year, 
        $1,000.
    ``(c) Limitation on Number of Years Which Credit May Be Taken Into 
Account.--The apprenticeship credit shall not be allowed for more than 
2 taxable years with respect to any apprenticeship employee.
    ``(d) Apprenticeship Employee.--For purposes of this section, the 
term `apprenticeship employee' means any employee who is employed by 
the employer--
            ``(1) in an officially recognized apprenticeable 
        occupation, as determined by the Office of Apprenticeship of 
        the Employment and Training Administration of the Department of 
        Labor, and
            ``(2) pursuant to an apprentice agreement registered with--
                    ``(A) the Office of Apprenticeship of the 
                Employment and Training Administration of the 
                Department of Labor, or
                    ``(B) a State apprenticeship agency.
    ``(e) Applicable Apprenticeship Level.--
            ``(1) In general.--For purposes of this section, the 
        applicable apprenticeship level shall be equal to--
                    ``(A) in the case of any apprenticeship employees 
                described in subsection (b)(1), the amount equal to 80 
                percent of the average number of such apprenticeship 
                employees of the employer for the 3 taxable years 
                preceding the taxable year for which the credit is 
                being determined, rounded to the next lower whole 
                number; and
                    ``(B) in the case of any apprenticeship employees 
                described in subsection (b)(2), the amount equal to 80 
                percent of the average number of such apprenticeship 
                employees of the employer for the 3 taxable years 
                preceding the taxable year for which the credit is 
                being determined, rounded to the next lower whole 
                number.
            ``(2) First year of new apprenticeship programs.--In the 
        case of an employer which did not have any apprenticeship 
        employees during any taxable year in the 3 taxable years 
        preceding the taxable year for which the credit is being 
        determined, the applicable apprenticeship level shall be equal 
        to zero.
    ``(f) Coordination With Other Credits.--The amount of credit 
otherwise allowable under sections 45A, 51(a), and 1396(a) with respect 
to any employee shall be reduced by the credit allowed by this section 
with respect to such employee.
    ``(g) Certain Rules To Apply.--Rules similar to the rules of 
subsections (i)(1) and (k) of section 51 shall apply for purposes of 
this section.''.
    (b) Credit Made Part of General Business Credit.--Subsection (b) of 
section 38 of such Code is amended by striking ``plus'' at the end of 
paragraph (32), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (33) and 
inserting ``, plus'', and by adding at the end the following new 
paragraph:
            ``(34) the apprenticeship credit determined under section 
        45U(a).''.
    (c) Denial of Double Benefit.--Subsection (a) of section 280C of 
such Code is amended by inserting ``45U(a),'' after ``45S(a),''.
    (d) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for subpart D of 
part IV of subchapter A of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by adding 
at the end the following new item:

``Sec. 45U. Employees participating in qualified apprenticeship 
                            programs.''.
    (e) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to individuals commencing apprenticeship programs after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.

SEC. 3. LIMITATION ON GOVERNMENT PRINTING COSTS.

    Not later than 90 days after the date of enactment of this Act, the 
Director of the Office of Management and Budget shall coordinate with 
the heads of Federal departments and independent agencies to--
            (1) determine which Government publications could be 
        available on Government websites and no longer printed and to 
        devise a strategy to reduce overall Government printing costs 
        over the 10-year period beginning with fiscal year 2020, except 
        that the Director shall ensure that essential printed documents 
        prepared for social security recipients, Medicare 
        beneficiaries, and other populations in areas with limited 
        internet access or use continue to remain available;
            (2) establish governmentwide Federal guidelines on employee 
        printing; and
            (3) issue guidelines requiring every department, agency, 
        commission, or office to list at a prominent place near the 
        beginning of each publication distributed to the public and 
        issued or paid for by the Federal Government--
                    (A) the name of the issuing agency, department, 
                commission, or office;
                    (B) the total number of copies of the document 
                printed;
                    (C) the collective cost of producing and printing 
                all of the copies of the document; and
                    (D) the name of the entity publishing the document.
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