Economic Revitalization Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to provide for economic revitalization zones designated by the Secretary of Labor in areas where: (1) the average unemployment rate for the most recent period for which data is available is at least 150 percent of the average national unemployment rate; (2) more than ten percent of the total employment in the area during 1993 consisted of employment in a trade-affected industry, or more than 15 percent consisted of employment in all of the trade-affected industries located in the area; and (3) employment in a trade-affected industry located in such area decreased by more than 20 percent during the period from 1993 through 2002.
Requires priority for designation to be given to areas which: (1) are located in States that have experienced employment in a trade-affected industry decline by more than 50 percent since 1993; and (2) have suffered the loss of more than 1000 jobs in the trade-affected industry within the preceding year.
Defines trade-affected industry as any industry listed in a three-digit North American industry classification system subsector: (1) which had a total labor force of at least 200,000 during 1994; (2) in which the number of employees has declined by more than 30 percent since 1993; and (3) in which the total number of workers certified through the trade adjustment assistance and the North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) transitional adjustment assistance programs under the Trade Act of 1974 from 1994 through 2002 was not less than an amount equal to ten percent of such industry's total labor force in 1994.
Requires treatment of an economic revitalization zone as an empowerment zone for purposes of applying specified tax incentives, including the new markets tax credit.
Amends the Trade Act of 1974 to authorize the award of competitive grants to community colleges to establish job training programs for adversely affected workers.
Presumes a group of workers at a textile or apparel firm to be adversely affected and eligible for trade adjustment assistance benefits under the Trade Adjustment Assistance Reform Act of 2002 if: (1) a significant number or proportion of the workers in the workers' firm or an appropriate subdivision of the firm has become totally or partially separated, or are threatened to become totally or partially separated; (2) the sales or production of the workers' firm has decreased, or the workers' plant or facility has closed or relocated; and (3) such event contributed importantly to the workers' separation or threat of separation.
[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1541 Introduced in Senate (IS)]
1st Session
S. 1541
To aid dislocated workers and rebuild communities devastated by
international trade, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES
July 31 (legislative day, July 21), 2003
Mr. Edwards introduced the following bill; which was read twice and
referred to the Committee on Finance
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To aid dislocated workers and rebuild communities devastated by
international trade, and for other purposes.
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 ``Economic Revitalization Act''.
SEC. 2. ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ZONES.
(a) In General.--Chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is
amended by adding at the end the following new subchapter:
``Subchapter Z--Economic Revitalization Zones
``Sec. 1400M. Designation of economic
revitalization zones.
``Sec. 1400N. Incentives for economic
revitalization zones.
``SEC. 1400M. DESIGNATION OF ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ZONES.
``(a) Designation.--
``(1) Definitions.--For purposes of this title, the term
`economic revitalization zone' means any area--
``(A) which is nominated by 1 or more local
governments and the State or States in which it is
located for designation as an economic revitalization
zone (hereafter in this section referred to as a
`nominated area'), and
``(B) which the Secretary of Labor designates as an
economic revitalization zone.
``(2) Number of designations.--Not more than 10 nominated
areas may be designated as economic revitalization zones.
``(3) Limitation on designations.--
``(A) Publication of regulations.--The Secretary of
Labor shall prescribe by regulation no later than 3
months after the date of the enactment of this
section--
``(i) the procedures for nominating an area
under paragraph (1)(A), and
``(ii) the parameters relating to the size
characteristics of an economic revitalization
zone.
``(B) Time limitations.--The Secretary of Labor may
designate nominated areas as economic revitalization
zones only during the 180-day period beginning on the
first day of the first month following the month in
which the regulations described in subparagraph (A) are
prescribed.
``(C) Procedural rules.--The Secretary of Labor
shall not make any designation of a nominated area as
an economic revitalization zone under paragraph (2)
unless--
``(i) the local governments and the States
in which the nominated area is located have the
authority to nominate such area for designation
as an economic revitalization zone,
``(ii) a nomination regarding such area is
submitted in such a manner and in such form,
and contains such information, as the Secretary
of Labor shall by regulation prescribe, and
``(iii) the Secretary of Labor determines
that any information furnished is reasonably
accurate.
``(4) Priority.--The Secretary of Labor shall give priority
to nominated areas which--
``(A) are located in States that have experienced
employment in a trade-affected industry decline by more
than 50 percent since 1993, and
``(B) have suffered the loss of more than 1000 jobs
in the trade-affected industry within the preceding
year.
``(b) Period for Which Designation Is in Effect.--
``(1) In general.--Any designation of an area as an
economic revitalization zone shall remain in effect during the
period beginning on the earliest practicable date, as
determined by the Secretary of Labor, and ending on the
earliest of--
``(A) December 31, 2014,
``(B) the termination date designated by the State
and local governments in their nomination, or
``(C) the date the Secretary of Labor revokes such
designation under the terms of paragraph (2) or after
determining that such revocation is necessary to
protect the public interest.
``(2) Revocation of designation.--The Secretary of Labor
may revoke the designation under this section of an area if
such Secretary determines that the local government or the
State in which the area is located has modified the boundaries
of the area.
``(c) Area and Eligibility Requirements.--
``(1) In general.--The Secretary of Labor may designate a
nominated area as an economic revitalization zone under
subsection (a) only if the area meets the requirements of
paragraphs (2) and (3) of this subsection.
``(2) Area requirements.--A nominated area meets the
requirements of this paragraph if--
``(A) the area is within the jurisdiction of 1 or
more local governments in 1 or more trade-affected
States, and
``(B) the boundary of the area is continuous.
``(3) Eligibility requirements.--A nominated area meets the
requirements of this paragraph if the States and the local
governments in which it is located certify in writing (and the
Secretary of Labor, after such review of supporting data as the
Secretary deems appropriate, accepts such certification) that--
``(A) the average unemployment rate in the area for
the most recent period for which data is available on
the date of the nomination of such area is at least 150
percent of the average national unemployment rate for
such period,
``(B) of the total employment in the area during
1993--
``(i) more than 10 percent consisted of
employment in a trade-affected industry located
in such area, or
``(ii) more than 15 percent consisted of
employment in all of the trade-affected
industries located in such area, and
``(C) employment in a trade-affected industry
located in such area decreased by more than 20 percent
during the period from 1993 through 2002.
``(d) Definitions and Special Rules.--For purposes of this
subchapter--
``(1) Trade-affected state.--The term `trade-affected
State' means any State in which the total number of workers
located in such State who were certified through the trade
adjustment assistance and the NAFTA transitional adjustment
assistance programs under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade
Act of 1974 during the period from 1994 through 2002 was not
less than an amount equal to 2.5 percent of the State's total
labor force in 1994.
``(2) Trade-affected industry.--The term `trade-affected
industry' means any industry listed in a 3-digit North American
industry classification system subsector--
``(A) which had a total labor force of at least
200,000 during 1994, as determined by the Bureau of
Labor Statistics,
``(B) in which the number of employees has declined
by more than 30 percent since 1993, and
``(C) in which the total number of workers who were
certified through the trade adjustment assistance and
the NAFTA transitional adjustment assistance programs
under chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974
during the period from 1994 through 2002 was not less
than an amount equal to 10 percent of such industry's
total labor force in 1994.
``(3) Local government.--The term `local government'
means--
``(A) any county, city, town, township, parish,
village, or other general purpose political subdivision
of a State, and
``(B) any combination of political subdivisions
described in subparagraph (A) recognized by the
Secretary of Labor.
``(4) Governments.--If more than 1 government seeks to
nominate an area as an economic revitalization zone, any
reference to, or requirement of, this section shall apply to
all such governments.
``SEC. 1400N. INCENTIVES FOR ECONOMIC REVITALIZATION ZONES.
``(a) In General.--An economic revitalization zone shall be treated
for the period of its designation as an empowerment zone for purposes
of applying--
``(1) section 1394 (relating to tax-exempt enterprise zone
facility bonds),
``(2) section 1396 (relating to empowerment zone employment
credit),
``(3) section 1397A (relating to increase in expensing
under section 179), and
``(4) section 1397B (relating to nonrecognition of gain on
rollover of empowerment zone investments).
``(b) New Markets Tax Credit.--An economic revitalization zone
shall be treated for the period of its designation as a low-income
community for purposes of applying section 45D (relating to new markets
tax credit).''.
(b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of subchapters for chapter 1 of
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the
following new item:
``Subchapter Z. Economic Revitalization
Zones.''.
SEC. 3. COMMUNITY COLLEGE EMPLOYMENT GRANTS.
(a) In General.--Chapter 2 of title II of the Trade Act of 1974 (19
U.S.C. 2271 et seq.) is amended by inserting after section 238 the
following:
``SEC. 238A. JOB TRAINING PROGRAMS.
``(a) Grant Program Authorized.--The Secretary is authorized to
award grants to community colleges (as defined in section 202 of the
Tech-Prep Education Act (20 U.S.C. 2371)) on a competitive basis to
establish job training programs for adversely affected workers.
``(b) Application.--
``(1) Submission.--To receive a grant under this section, a
community college shall submit an application to the Secretary
at such time and in such manner as the Secretary shall require.
``(2) Contents.--The application submitted under paragraph
(1) shall provide a description of--
``(A) the population to be served with grant funds
received under this section;
``(B) how grant funds received under this section
will be expended; and
``(C) the job training programs that will be
established with grant funds received under this
section, including a description of how such programs
relate to workforce needs in the area where the
community college is located.
``(c) Eligibility.--To be eligible to receive a grant under this
section, a community college shall be located in an economic
revitalization zone (as defined in section 1400M(a) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986, as added by section 2).
``(d) Decision on Applications.--Not later than 30 days after
submission of an application under subsection (b), the Secretary shall
approve or disapprove the application.
``(e) Use of Funds.--A community college that receives a grant
under this section shall use the grant funds to establish job training
programs for adversely affected workers.
``(f) Authorization of Appropriations.--There are authorized to be
appropriated such sums as may be necessary to carry out this
section.''.
(b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of contents for chapter 2 of
title II of the Trade Act of 1974 is amended by inserting after the
item relating to section 238 the following new item:
``Sec. 238A. Job training programs.
SEC. 4. IMMEDIATE ASSISTANCE FOR TEXTILE WORKERS.
Section 222 of the Trade Act of 1974 (19 U.S.C. 2272) is amended by
adding at the end the following:
``(d) Additional Rule for Textile and Apparel Workers.--
``(1) Presumptive certification.--A group of workers at a
textile or apparel firm shall be presumed eligible and shall be
certified by the Secretary as adversely affected and eligible
for trade adjustment assistance under this chapter and benefits
under the amendments made by title II of the Trade Adjustment
Assistance Reform Act of 2002 (Public Law 107-210; 116 Stat.
954) if--
``(A) a significant number or proportion of the
workers in the workers' firm or an appropriate
subdivision of the firm has become totally or partially
separated, or are threatened to become totally or
partially separated;
``(B)(i) the sales or production of the workers'
firm has decreased; or
``(ii) the workers' plant or facility has closed or
relocated; and
``(C) the event described in subparagraph (B)
contributed importantly to the workers' separation or
threat of separation.
``(2) Permanent certification.--The presumptive
certification under paragraph (1) shall become permanent 40
days after the submission of a petition by the group of workers
under section 221 unless the Secretary determines within such
period, after giving the group of workers notice and an
opportunity to be heard, that the workers do not satisfy the
criteria for certification in subsection (a).''.
<all>
Introduced in Senate
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
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