House File 299 - Introduced



                                       HOUSE FILE       
                                       BY  FORD


    Passed House,  Date               Passed Senate, Date             
    Vote:  Ayes        Nays           Vote:  Ayes        Nays         
                 Approved                            

                                      A BILL FOR

  1 An Act creating a junior entrepreneur training assistance program
  2    and providing a tax deduction.
  3 BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF IOWA:
  4 TLSB 2530HH 81
  5 tm/cf/24

PAG LIN



  1  1    Section 1.  Section 15.313, subsection 2, Code 2005, is
  1  2 amended by adding the following new paragraph:
  1  3    NEW PARAGRAPH.  h.  To provide matching grants under the
  1  4 junior entrepreneur training assistance program as provided in
  1  5 section 15E.323.
  1  6    Sec. 2.  NEW SECTION.  15E.321  SHORT TITLE.
  1  7    This division shall be known and may be cited as the
  1  8 "Junior Entrepreneur Training Act".
  1  9    Sec. 3.  NEW SECTION.  15E.322  JUNIOR ENTREPRENEUR
  1 10 TRAINING ASSISTANCE PROGRAM.
  1 11    1.  The department of economic development shall establish
  1 12 a junior entrepreneur training assistance program to encourage
  1 13 and assist private businesses and organizations to establish
  1 14 junior entrepreneur training programs that would operate in
  1 15 conjunction or cooperation with a local school district.
  1 16    2.  a.  A junior entrepreneur training program established
  1 17 by a private business or organization shall be designed to do
  1 18 all of the following:
  1 19    (1)  Encourage interest in starting or operating a
  1 20 business.
  1 21    (2)  Educate participants regarding the potential
  1 22 advantages and rewards of self=employment.
  1 23    (3)  Engage business professionals and successful
  1 24 entrepreneurs in introducing participants to the basics of
  1 25 business ownership and management.
  1 26    (4)  Assist past participants in the program who start or
  1 27 purchase a business in developing mentoring relationships with
  1 28 successful local businesspersons.
  1 29    b.  The department shall give funding and assistance
  1 30 priority to a junior entrepreneur training program that
  1 31 concentrates its efforts on attracting participants who lack
  1 32 significant exposure to entrepreneurship role models
  1 33 including, but not limited to, persons from economically
  1 34 disadvantaged backgrounds or populations traditionally
  1 35 underrepresented in the local business community.
  2  1    3.  For purposes of an eligible taxpayer claiming an income
  2  2 tax deduction pursuant to sections 422.7 and 422.35, the
  2  3 department shall, upon application by the junior entrepreneur
  2  4 training program, certify any junior entrepreneur training
  2  5 program that meets the criteria in subsection 2, paragraph
  2  6 "b".
  2  7    Sec. 4.  NEW SECTION.  15E.323  FUNDING.
  2  8    The department may provide a matching grant to a private
  2  9 business or organization that establishes a junior
  2 10 entrepreneur training program.  A matching grant shall provide
  2 11 one dollar for every two dollars in private matching moneys.
  2 12    Sec. 5.  NEW SECTION.  15E.324  RULES.
  2 13    The department shall adopt rules pursuant to chapter 17A
  2 14 necessary for the administration of this division.
  2 15    Sec. 6.  Section 422.7, Code 2005, is amended by adding the
  2 16 following new subsection:
  2 17    NEW SUBSECTION.  44.  Subtract the amount of any
  2 18 contribution made for the establishment or operation of a
  2 19 junior entrepreneur training program certified by the
  2 20 department of economic development pursuant to section
  2 21 15E.322.
  2 22    Sec. 7.  Section 422.35, Code 2005, is amended by adding
  2 23 the following new subsection:
  2 24    NEW SUBSECTION.  20.  Subtract the amount of any
  2 25 contribution made for the establishment or operation of a
  2 26 junior entrepreneur training program certified by the
  2 27 department of economic development pursuant to section
  2 28 15E.322.
  2 29                           EXPLANATION
  2 30    This bill creates a junior entrepreneur training assistance
  2 31 program.
  2 32    The bill provides that the department of economic
  2 33 development shall establish a junior entrepreneur training
  2 34 assistance program to encourage and assist private businesses
  2 35 and organizations to establish junior entrepreneur training
  3  1 programs that would operate in conjunction or cooperation with
  3  2 a local school district.  The bill provides that a junior
  3  3 entrepreneur training program established by a private
  3  4 business or organization shall be designed to encourage
  3  5 interest in starting or operating a business, educate
  3  6 participants regarding the potential advantages and rewards of
  3  7 self=employment, engage business professionals and successful
  3  8 entrepreneurs in introducing participants to the basics of
  3  9 business ownership and management, and assist past
  3 10 participants in the program who start or purchase a business
  3 11 in developing mentoring relationships with successful local
  3 12 businesspersons.  The bill provides that the department shall
  3 13 give funding and assistance priority to a junior entrepreneur
  3 14 training program that concentrates its efforts on attracting
  3 15 participants who lack significant exposure to entrepreneurship
  3 16 role models including, but not limited to, persons from
  3 17 economically disadvantaged backgrounds or populations
  3 18 traditionally underrepresented in the local business
  3 19 community.
  3 20    The bill provides that the department may provide a
  3 21 matching grant to a private business or organization that
  3 22 establishes a junior entrepreneur training program.  The bill
  3 23 provides that the moneys for the matching grants shall be
  3 24 provided from the strategic investment fund.
  3 25    The bill provides for an individual or corporate tax
  3 26 deduction for any contribution made for the establishment or
  3 27 operation of a junior entrepreneur training program certified
  3 28 by the department.  The bill provides that the department
  3 29 shall, upon application by the junior entrepreneur training
  3 30 program, certify programs that concentrate efforts on
  3 31 attracting participants who lack significant exposure to
  3 32 entrepreneurship role models including, but not limited to,
  3 33 persons from economically disadvantaged backgrounds or
  3 34 populations traditionally underrepresented in the local
  3 35 business community.
  4  1 LSB 2530HH 81
  4  2 tm:nh/cf/24