Invest in United States Act of 2014

Bill: 113-hr-3939
Sponsor: Rep. Neal, Richard E. [D-MA-1]
Introduced: 2014-01-28 in the House
Policy area: Taxation
Subjects: Aviation and airports
Business investment and capital
Congressional oversight
Electric power generation and transmission
Employee hiring
Employment and training programs
Energy efficiency and conservation
Energy storage, supplies, demand
Europe
European Union
Food industry and services
Government corporations and government-sponsored enterprises
Government lending and loan guarantees
Income tax credits
Income tax deductions
Income tax exclusion
Income tax rates
Infrastructure development
Marine and inland water transportation
Navigation, waterways, harbors
Public transit
Public-private cooperation
Railroads
Research administration and funding
Research and development
Retail and wholesale trades
Roads and highways
Securities
Solid waste and recycling
Trade adjustment assistance
Trade agreements and negotiations
Transportation programs funding
User charges and fees
Vocational and technical education
Wages and earnings
Water resources funding
Water use and supply

Summary:
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: 
Invest in United States Act of 2014 - 
Title I: American Infrastructure Financing Authority - 
Establishes the American Infrastructure Financing Authority (AIFA) as a wholly-owned government corporation that shall provide direct loans and loan guarantees to facilitate the construction, alteration, or repair of transportation, water, and energy infrastructure projects. Requires infrastructure projects assisted under this Act to have costs that are reasonably anticipated to equal or exceed $100 million ($25 million for rural infrastructure projects). 
 
Establishes an Office of the Special Inspector General to conduct, supervise, and coordinate audits and investigations of the business activities of AIFA. 
 
Prohibits financial assistance from AIFA for any private project for which no public benefit is created. Sets forth terms for loans or loan guarantees for eligible infrastructure projects and for the repayment of such loans. Requires an annual independent audit of AIFA finances. 
 
Requires the Chief Executive Officer of AIFA to: (1) establish fees with respect to loans and loan guarantees that are sufficient to cover AIFA's administrative costs; and (2) take actions to make AIFA a self-sustaining entity, with administrative and federal credit subsidy costs fully funded by fees and risk premiums on loans and loan guarantees. 
 

Title II: Tax Credit Extensions - 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent the new markets tax credit. 
 
Build America Bonds Act of 2014 - Makes permanent the tax credit for investment in the Build America Bonds program.
 
Makes permanent the tax credit for research expenditures. Increases to 17% the rate of the alternative simplified research tax credit. 
 
Exempts bonds for water and sewage facilities from the volume cap on tax-exempt private activity bonds. 
 
Eliminates tax-exempt interest earned on private activity bonds as an item of tax preference for purposes of calculating the alternative minimum tax (AMT). 
 

Title III: Skills Training - 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow tax credits for: (1) the qualified training expenses of job trainees who have been unemployed for at least 90 days before enrolling in a training program, and (2) investment in a qualified job training partnership between a private business and an institution of higher education or a labor organization. Defines "qualifying training expenses" as an eligible trainee's qualified tuition costs, which may include costs for books and enrollment in a training program at an institution of higher education that may include a single course, multiple courses, or a combination of work training and study that is reasonably necessary for employment. 
 
Requires the Secretary of the Treasury to establish a Qualified Job Training Partnership program to consider and award certifications for qualified investments eligible for credits to qualified job training partnerships. Requires the Secretary to make grants to individuals who make an investment in a qualified job training partnership, in lieu of a tax credit. 
 

Title IV: Trade Provisions - 
Expresses the sense of Congress with respect to the implementation of a trade and investment agreement with the European Union. 
 
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to extend through December 31, 2020: (1) the trade adjustment assistance (TAA) program, and (2) the reemployment trade adjustment assistance (RTAA) program.
 
Makes funds available through FY2020 and for the period beginning October 1-December 31, 2020 (first quarter of FY2021) for training of adversely affected workers, employment and case management services, and job search expenses and relocation expenses.
 
Reauthorizes appropriations: (1) through December 31, 2020, for the TAA program for workers, and (2) through FY2020 and for the first quarter of FY2021 for the TAA program for firms and farmers.
 
Amends the Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011 to declare that TAA program requirements in effect as of February 13, 2011, under the Trade Act of 1974 shall apply to petitions for certification to apply for TAA for workers, firms, and farmers that are filed before January 1, 2021.
 

Title V: Minimum Wage Increase and Business Tax Relief - 
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to increase the federal minimum wage for employees to: (1) $8.20 an hour beginning on the first day of the first month beginning 1 year after the enactment of this Act, (2) $9.15 an hour beginning 1 year after that first day, (3) $10.10 an hour beginning 2 years after that first day, and (4) the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor (based on increases in the Consumer Price Index) beginning 3 years after that first day and annually thereafter.
 
Increases the federal minimum wage for tipped employees to $3.00 an hour for the 1-year period beginning on the first day of the third month after the enactment of this Act. Provides a formula for subsequent annual adjustments of the wage increase to ensure that it remains equal to 50% of the wage in effect under FLSA for other employees.
 
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to make permanent: (1) the work opportunity tax credit; (2) the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business assets; and (3) the treatment of qualified leasehold improvement property, qualified restaurant property, and qualified retail improvement property as 15-year property for depreciation purposes. 


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2014-06-13
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
action_date: 2014-02-06
text: Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR H1661-1662)
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Water Resources and Environment.
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Railroads, Pipelines, and Hazardous Materials.
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Highways and Transit.
action_date: 2014-01-29
text: Referred to the Subcommittee on Aviation.
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Transportation and Infrastructure, and Education and the Workforce, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: Introduced in House
action_date: 2014-01-28
text: Introduced in House