Corporate Voices is devoted to tracking bills 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 111th Congress.
| Bill Title & Number | Key Sponsor | Description | Status |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Paycheck Fairness Act |
Rep. DeLauro, Rosa L. [CT-3] Sen. Clinton, Hillary Rodham [NY] |
Amends the portion of the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) known as the Equal Pay Act to revise remedies for, enforcement of, and exceptions to prohibitions against sex discrimination in the payment of wages. |
Pursuant to the provisions of H.Res. 5, the text of H.R. 12 as passed by the House will be appended to the end of H.R. 11 as new matter. 1/9/2009 Read the second time. Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 15. |
|
Health Care Incentive Act |
Rep. Issa, Darrell E. [CA-49] |
Directs the Secretary of Labor to allow any employer in interstate commerce that is required by federal or state law to pay a minimum wage rate higher than the current federal rate under the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to include the value of creditable health care benefits in determining the required wage. |
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. |
|
Right Start Child Care and Education Act of 2009 |
Rep. Ruppersberger, C. A. Dutch [MD-2] Sen. Boxer, Barbara [CA] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the rates and maximum allowable amount of the tax credit for employer-provided child care facilities; (2) increase the eligibility threshold amount and rate of the household and dependent care tax credit and make such credit refundable; (3) allow a new $2,000 tax credit for child care providers who hold a bachelor's degree in early childhood education, child care, or a related degree and who provide at least 1,200 hours of child care services in a taxable year; and (4) increase the tax exclusion for employer-provided dependent care assistance. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
A Bill to increase the contribution limits to dependent care flexible spending accounts |
Rep. Sensenbrenner, F. James, Jr. [WI-5] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a maximum annual benefit of $3,750 ($7,500 for married couples filing a joint tax return) for a dependent care flexible spending arrangement; and (2) allow a carryover of unused dependent care benefits in tax-exempt cafeteria plans and flexible spending arrangements into the next plan year. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
To Amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to Expand and Improve the Dependent Care Tax Credit. |
Rep. Weiner, Anthony D. [NY-9] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) increase the dollar limitation on employment-related expenses that qualify for the tax credit for expenses for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment (dependent care tax credit); (2) repeal the requirement that a disabled dependent and the taxpayer share the same residence to qualify for such credit; (3) require the Secretary of the Treasury to prescribe regulations to qualify retirees for such credit; and (4) make such credit refundable. Makes permanent the increases in the dependent care tax credit enacted by the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Child Care Affordability Act of 2009 |
Rep. Maloney, Carolyn B. [NY-14] |
Child Care Affordability Act of 2009- Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow a tax deduction for expenses paid for household and dependent care services necessary for gainful employment; (2) increase the dollar limitation on the tax credit for such expenses; (3) provide for an inflation adjustment after 2010 to the dollar amounts for such tax deduction and tax credit; and (4) make such tax credit refundable. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Fair Pay Act of 2009 |
Rep. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [DC] Sen. Harkin, Tom [IA] |
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to prohibit discrimination in the payment of wages on account of sex, race, or national origin. (Allows payment of different wages under seniority systems, merit systems, systems that measure earnings by quantity or quality of production, or differentials based on bona fide factors that the employer demonstrates are job-related or further legitimate business interests.) |
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. |
|
Expanding Dependent and Child Care Act of 2009 |
Rep. Yarmuth, John A. [KY-3] |
Expanding Dependent and Child Care Act of 2009 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $7,500 the amount of employer-provided dependent care assistance that an employee may exclude from gross income. Allows an annual inflation adjustment to such increased amount after 2010. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Helping Families Afford to Work Act |
Rep. Peters, Gary C. [MI-9] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code relating to the dependent care tax credit to: (1) increase from $15,000 to $20,000 the income threshold at which the rate of such credit is reduced; (2) increase the rate of such credit from 35 to 50%; (3) increase the maximum dollar amount of such credit; and (4) make such credit refundable. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Working for Adequate Gains for Employment in Services Act or WAGES Act |
Rep. Edwards, Donna F. [MD-4] |
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to establish a base minimum wage for tipped employees of at least: (1) $3.75 an hour beginning 90 days after the enactment of this Act; (2) $5.00 an hour beginning July 1, 2011; and (3) beginning on July 1, 2012, and adjusted as necessary thereafter, 70% of the wage in effect under FLSA but in no case less than $5.50 an hour. |
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. |
|
Living American Wage (LAW) Act of 2009 |
Rep. Green, Al [TX-9] |
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to increase the federal minimum wage to at least the amount determined by the Secretary of Labor according to the formula prescribed by this Act beginning September 1, 2011. |
Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. |
|
To amend the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to postpone the increase in the minimum wage for 1 year. |
Rep. Olson, Pete [TX-22] |
Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to postpone for one year (until July 24, 2010) the increase in the minimum wage to $7.25 an hour. |
Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections. |
|
Support Working Parents Act of 2010 |
Rep Schwartz, Allyson Y. [PA-13] |
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the phasedown of the credit percentage for the dependent care tax credit. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to terminate the advance payment of the earned income tax credit. |
Rep Linder, John [GA-7] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the advance payment of the earned income tax credit.. |
Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. |
|
Older Worker Opportunity Act of 2009 |
Sen. Kohl, Herb [WI] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow employers who provide health and retirement benefits to their employees a tax credit for 25% of the first $6,000 of wages paid to individuals age 62 or older participating in a flexible work program. Terminates such credit after 2012. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act of 2009 |
Sen. Snowe, Olympia J. [ME] |
Modifies rules applicable to employee benefit flexible spending arrangements, including health and dependent care arrangements, to permit participants to make or modify elections regarding covered benefits and to carry over up to $500 (indexed for inflation) of unused benefits to the succeeding year or transfer such unused amounts to another plan, including an individual retirement plan or a health savings account. Allows an exclusion from the gross income of an employee of up to $7,500 ($10,000 for employees with one or more dependents) for employer contributions to a flexible spending arrangement. Provides for a cost-of-living adjustment to such exclusion after 2010. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
Americans Giving care to Elders (AGE) Act of 2009 |
Sen. Klobuchar, Amy [MN] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow caregivers a tax credit for up to $6,000 of the eldercare expenses incurred for their parents (or ancestors of such parents). Amends the Older Americans Act of 1965 to: (1) increase funding for the National Family Caregiver Support Program through FY2013; and (2) establish a National Resource Center on Family Caregiving to provide information on and support for family caregiver support programs. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide for the distribution of remaining balances in flexible spending arrangements upon termination from employment. |
Sen. Johanns, Mike [NE] |
Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow, without penalty, a participant in an employer-sponsored health or dependent care flexible spending arrangement to withdraw any remaining balance in such plans at the time such participant is separated from employment. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
Bipartisan Tax Fairness and Simplification Act of 2010 |
Sen. Ron Wyden [OR] |
Declares as the purposes of this Act to: (1) make the federal individual income tax system simpler, fairer, and more transparent; (2) reduce the income tax rate on corporations, repeal the individual and corporate alternative minimum tax (AMT), and eliminate special tax preferences; and (3) reduce the federal budget deficit. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
|
Child and Dependent Care FSA Enhancement Act |
Sen. Richard Burr [NC] |
Child and Dependent Care FSA Enhancement Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase to $7,500 the amount of employer-provided dependent care assistance that an employee may exclude from gross income. Allows an annual inflation adjustment to such increased amount after 2010. |
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |