October 08, 2003 11:21 AM CDT

New Tax Credit Legislation Introduced in the Senate

By Marian J. Marshall

Senator Wayne Allard (R-CO) recently introduced a priority MCAA bill, S. 1625, the Apprenticeship Training and Employment Act of 2003. While modeled after the Skilled Workforce Enhancement Act (SWEA), the bill has been dramatically scaled back in order to reduce the cost of the legislation.

The bill provides a tax credit of up to $10,000 per year for the first two years of a four-year apprenticeship program. A maximum of three apprentices are permitted from each company. In order to qualify for the program, the apprentice must be enrolled in a program that has been approved by the Department of Labor or a State Apprenticeship Council. The credit applies only to those highly skilled trades in the construction industry, such as masonry.

MCAA expects a similar bill to be introduced in the House shortly.

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About the Author

Marian J. Marshall was the Director of Government Affairs for the Mason Contractors Association of America.