Bipartisan Bill Would Make Veterans, Military Spouses More Attractive Hires

Bipartisan legislation introduced Nov. 20 would reauthorize a key tax credit supporting veteran employment and expand its reach to include currently serving military spouses as a newly recognized target group – a key addition that MOAA has been advocating for through the Military Spouse Hiring Act.
The Improve and Enhance the Work Opportunity Tax Credit Act, introduced by Sens. Bill Cassidy (R-La.) and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in the Senate and Reps. Steven Horsford (D-Nev.) and Lloyd Smucker (R-Pa.) in the House, would modernize the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC), a nonrefundable tax credit employers can take for hiring target group members during the employee’s first year on the job. The program incentivizes employers to hire “job seekers who have consistently faced barriers to employment,” according to the U.S. Labor Department.