| 6 | 10 | | relating to the imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to income2 |
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| 7 | 11 | | taxes, so as to provide for a tax credit for workforce-ready graduates employed in high-tech3 |
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| 8 | 12 | | full-time jobs in rural counties in this state; to require the Department of Labor to establish4 |
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| 9 | 13 | | certain criteria; to provide for conditions and limitations; to provide for definitions; to5 |
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| 10 | 14 | | provide for rules and regulations and forms; to provide for related matters; to provide for an6 |
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| 11 | 15 | | effective date and applicability; to repeal conflicting laws; and for other purposes.7 |
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| 12 | 16 | | BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF GEORGIA:8 |
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| 13 | 17 | | SECTION 1.9 |
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| 14 | 18 | | Article 2 of Chapter 7 of Title 48 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated, relating to the10 |
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| 15 | 19 | | imposition, rate, computation, exemptions, and credits relative to income taxes, is amended11 |
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| 16 | 20 | | by adding a new Code section to read as follows:12 |
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| 23 | 28 | | trust, or other form of organization, and its affiliates, which is registered and authorized17 |
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| 24 | 29 | | to use the federal employment verification system known as 'E-Verify' or any successor18 |
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| 25 | 30 | | federal employment verification system and is engaged in or carrying on any business19 |
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| 26 | 31 | | activities within this state.20 |
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| 27 | 32 | | (2) 'High-tech full-time job' means employment:21 |
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| 28 | 33 | | (A) That is located in a rural county;22 |
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| 29 | 34 | | (B) As a data scientist, software developer, information security analyst, web23 |
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| 30 | 35 | | developer, computer sales engineer, information technology manager, computer24 |
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| 31 | 36 | | research scientist, network and systems administrator, or computer support specialist;25 |
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| 32 | 37 | | (C) Through an employer located in a rural county that is also a small business;26 |
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| 33 | 38 | | (D) That involves a regular work week of 30 hours or more;27 |
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| 34 | 39 | | (E) That has no predetermined end date; and28 |
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| 35 | 40 | | (F) That pays at or above the average hourly wage of the county with the lowest29 |
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| 36 | 41 | | average hourly wage in the state, as reported in the most recently available annual issue30 |
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| 37 | 42 | | of the Georgia Employment and Wages Averages Report of the Department of Labor.31 |
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| 38 | 43 | | (3) 'Rural county' means a county in this state that has a population of less than 50,00032 |
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| 39 | 44 | | with 10 percent or more of such population living in poverty based upon the most recent,33 |
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| 40 | 45 | | reliable, and applicable data published by the United States Bureau of the Census. On34 |
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| 41 | 46 | | or before December 31 of each year, the commissioner of the Department of Community35 |
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| 42 | 47 | | Affairs shall publish a list of such counties.36 |
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| 43 | 48 | | (4) 'Small business' means a business that is independently owned and operated, is not37 |
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| 44 | 49 | | dominant in its field of operation, and employs fewer than 20 employees.38 |
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| 45 | | - | (5) 'Workforce-ready graduate' means an individual who has obtained a postsecondary39 |
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| 46 | | - | credential from a nationally accredited institution in the discipline of engineering or40 |
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| 47 | | - | computer, information, or data science within a high-tech area of study and who is41 |
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| 48 | | - | certified by the Department of Labor as having completed a workforce readiness program42 |
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| 49 | | - | H. B. 7 (SUB) |
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| 50 | | - | - 2 - 25 LC 50 1191S |
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| 51 | | - | approved by the Department of Labor in accordance with subsection (b) of this Code43 |
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| 52 | | - | section.44 |
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| 53 | | - | (b) By January 1, 2026, the Department of Labor shall adopt criteria for the establishment45 |
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| 54 | | - | of workforce readiness programs and the certification of workforce-ready graduates for the46 |
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| 55 | | - | purposes of this Code section.47 |
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| 56 | | - | (c)(1) On and after January 1, 2026, each workforce-ready graduate employed in a48 |
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| 57 | | - | high-tech full-time job for at least 40 weeks during a 12 month period shall be eligible49 |
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| 58 | | - | for an income tax credit in the amount of $4,000.00 for each such year of employment50 |
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| 59 | | - | against the tax imposed under this article; provided, however, that no individual shall be51 |
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| 60 | | - | allowed more than $12,000.00 of tax credits under this paragraph.52 |
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| 61 | | - | (2) No individual first employed in a high-tech full-time job before January 1, 2026,53 |
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| 62 | | - | shall qualify to be eligible to receive the credit provided by this subsection.54 |
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| 63 | | - | (3) No individual shall be eligible to receive the credit provided by this subsection more55 |
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| 64 | | - | than once.56 |
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| 65 | | - | (d) In no event shall the credit provided by subsection (c) of this Code section for a taxable57 |
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| 66 | | - | year exceed the taxpayer's income tax liability. Any unused portion of the credit provided58 |
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| 67 | | - | by subsection (c) of this Code section shall be permitted to be carried forward and applied59 |
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| 68 | | - | to the taxpayer's tax liability for the subsequent three years. The credit provided by60 |
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| 69 | | - | subsection (c) of this Code section shall not be applied against the taxpayer's prior years'61 |
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| 70 | | - | tax liabilities.62 |
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| 71 | | - | (e) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations and forms necessary to63 |
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| 72 | | - | implement and administer the provisions of this Code section."64 |
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| 73 | | - | SECTION 2.65 |
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| 74 | | - | This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall be applicable to all taxable years66 |
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| 75 | | - | beginning on or after January 1, 2026.67 |
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| 76 | | - | H. B. 7 (SUB) |
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| 77 | | - | - 3 - 25 LC 50 1191S |
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| 78 | | - | SECTION 3.68 |
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| 79 | | - | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.69 |
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| 80 | | - | H. B. 7 (SUB) |
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| 81 | | - | - 4 - |
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| 50 | + | (5) 'Workforce-ready graduate' means an individual who has obtained a degree in the39 |
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| 51 | + | discipline of engineering or computer, information, or data science within a high-tech40 |
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| 52 | + | area of study and who is certified by the Department of Labor as having completed a41 |
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| 53 | + | workforce readiness program approved by the Department of Labor in accordance with42 |
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| 54 | + | subsection (b) of this Code section.43 |
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| 55 | + | H. B. 7 |
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| 56 | + | - 2 - 25 LC 59 0033 |
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| 57 | + | (b) By January 1, 2026, the Department of Labor shall adopt criteria for the establishment44 |
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| 58 | + | of workforce readiness programs and the certification of workforce-ready graduates for the45 |
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| 59 | + | purposes of this Code section.46 |
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| 60 | + | (c)(1) On and after January 1, 2026, each workforce-ready graduate employed in a47 |
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| 61 | + | high-tech full-time job for at least 40 weeks during a 12 month period shall be eligible48 |
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| 62 | + | for an income tax credit in the amount of $4,000.00 for each such year of employment49 |
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| 63 | + | against the tax imposed under this article; provided, however, that no individual shall be50 |
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| 64 | + | allowed more than $12,000.00 of tax credits under this paragraph.51 |
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| 65 | + | (2) No individual first employed in a high-tech full-time job before January 1, 2026,52 |
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| 66 | + | shall qualify to be eligible to receive the credit provided by this subsection.53 |
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| 67 | + | (3) No individual shall be eligible to receive the credit provided by this subsection more54 |
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| 68 | + | than once.55 |
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| 69 | + | (d) In no event shall the credit provided by subsection (c) of this Code section for a taxable56 |
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| 70 | + | year exceed the taxpayer's income tax liability. Any unused portion of the credit provided57 |
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| 71 | + | by subsection (c) of this Code section shall be permitted to be carried forward and applied58 |
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| 72 | + | to the taxpayer's tax liability for the subsequent three years. The credit provided by59 |
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| 73 | + | subsection (c) of this Code section shall not be applied against the taxpayer's prior years'60 |
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| 74 | + | tax liabilities.61 |
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| 75 | + | (e) The commissioner shall promulgate rules and regulations and forms necessary to62 |
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| 76 | + | implement and administer the provisions of this Code section."63 |
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| 77 | + | SECTION 2.64 |
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| 78 | + | This Act shall become effective on July 1, 2025, and shall be applicable to all taxable years65 |
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| 79 | + | beginning on or after January 1, 2026.66 |
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| 80 | + | SECTION 3.67 |
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| 81 | + | All laws and parts of laws in conflict with this Act are repealed.68 |
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| 82 | + | H. B. 7 |
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| 83 | + | - 3 - |
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