Senate Bill sb0470

    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 470

    By Senator Dawson





    29-485-07

  1                      A bill to be entitled

  2         An act relating to the employment of former

  3         offenders; providing for issuing tax credit

  4         vouchers to businesses in this state which

  5         employ former offenders; providing the amount

  6         of the tax credit; requiring that the business

  7         document the employment; requiring the

  8         Department of Corrections to cooperate with

  9         employers in identifying former offenders who

10         have job skills and who are employable;

11         requiring the Department of Revenue to develop

12         forms and procedures for applying for the tax

13         credit; providing an effective date.

14  

15  Be It Enacted by the Legislature of the State of Florida:

16  

17         Section 1.  Employment incentive for former

18  offenders.--

19         (1)  In order to encourage the creation of jobs in this

20  state for former offenders, each business, as defined in s.

21  212.02, Florida Statutes, shall be issued a tax credit voucher

22  of $1,500 for use against any tax liability created under

23  chapter 212 or chapter 220, Florida Statutes, for each former

24  offender who is employed full time by the business after July

25  1, 2007. The business must document that the position is

26  continuously filled for at least 12 full consecutive months by

27  a former offender, that the salary for the position is at

28  least $9 per hour, and that the former offender performs

29  duties in connection with the operations of the business on a

30  regular full-time basis for an average of at least 36 hours

31  per week each month throughout the year.

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.






    Florida Senate - 2007                                   SB 470
    29-485-07




 1         (2)  To assist in this program, the Department of

 2  Corrections shall cooperate with employers in identifying

 3  former offenders who have job skills and who are employable.

 4         (3)  A business may begin applying the credit against

 5  such taxes after the former offender has continuously filled

 6  the position for at least 12 consecutive months. If an

 7  eligible business has a credit larger than the amount owed the

 8  state on the tax return for the time period for which the

 9  credit is claimed, the amount of the credit for that time

10  period is limited to the amount owed the state on that tax

11  return.

12         (4)  A business may apply for the tax credit by

13  submitting an application to the Department of Revenue,

14  accompanied by an affidavit verifying the creation and filling

15  of a position as described in subsection (1) and the salary

16  for the position. The department shall provide forms and a

17  procedure for applying for, processing, and issuing the

18  credit.

19         Section 2.  This act shall take effect July 1, 2007.

20  

21            *****************************************

22                          SENATE SUMMARY

23    Provides credits against taxes imposed under chapter 212
      or chapter 220, Florida Statutes, for businesses that
24    employ former offenders. Provides for the tax credit to
      be in the amount of $1,500 for each former offender who
25    is employed full time for at least 12 consecutive months.
      Requires the business to document the employment.
26    Requires the Department of Corrections to cooperate with
      employers to identify former offenders who have job
27    skills and who are employable. Requires the Department of
      Revenue to develop forms and procedures for applying for
28    the tax credit.

29  

30  

31  

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CODING: Words stricken are deletions; words underlined are additions.