# The HERO for Youth Act: Making It Easier for Young People to Work

This bill changes how the government rewards businesses for hiring young workers. Right now, there's a tax credit that gives employers a financial incentive to hire teenagers during the summer, but it has strict limits. This bill expands that program to let young people work during the school year and adds a new category of young people who can qualify for the credit.

The main change allows teenagers to work year-round while getting the tax benefit for their employers, not just during summer. Currently, if a teen wants to work during the school year, their employer doesn't get the tax credit. Under this bill, teenagers can work up to 20 hours per week between September and April while they're attending high school and their employers would still qualify for the credit. This means businesses might be more willing to hire students during the school year since they'd get the same tax break they currently get for summer hires.

The bill also creates a new category called "disconnected youth" who would qualify for the credit. This includes young people ages 16 to 24 who haven't been in school or working regularly for the past six months and lack basic job skills. It also includes foster youth ages 16 to 20 who were in the foster care system within the past year. By giving employers a tax incentive to hire these young people, the bill aims to help them get work experience and enter the job market.

Overall, this is designed to make it easier for young people—especially those struggling to find work or still in school—to get jobs, while giving employers a financial reason to hire them.

Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2023

Kelly, Robin L.

Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2023 This bill modifies the work opportunity tax credit to (1) change the credit for summer youth employees to a credit for youth employees who will be employed for not more than 20 hours per week during any period between September 16 and April 30 in which the youth employee is attending any secondary school, (2) increase the amount of the credit for youth employees, and (3) expand the credit to include disconnected youth. The bill defines disconnected youth to include any individual who (1) is certified as having attained age 16 but not age 25 on the hiring date; and (2) has self-certified as not having regularly attended any secondary, technical, or post-secondary school during the 6-month period preceding the hiring date, has not been regularly employed during such period, and is not readily employable due to a lack of basic skills. The term also includes individuals who have been certified (1) as having attained age 16 but not age 21 on the hiring date, and (2) as eligible foster children in foster care during the 12-month period ending on the hiring date.