S. 1560Senate117th Congress (2021-2023)In Committee

Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2021

Introduced May 11, 2021

AI-Generated Summary

Updated February 8, 2026 at 2:45 AM UTC

The HERO for Youth Act changes the federal work opportunity tax credit to cover more young workers. It expands the credit to include year‑round and part‑time jobs during the school year, raises the credit amount, and creates a new credit for “disconnected youth” and certain foster‑care youth. The changes apply to employers who hire eligible youth after the law takes effect.

Key Provisions

  • Expands the work opportunity credit to cover youth employed up to 20 hours per week between September 16 and April 30 while attending secondary school, allowing year‑round eligibility.
  • Increases the amount of the credit (specific amount not detailed in the text).
  • Adds a new credit for “disconnected youth” aged 16‑25 who are not in school, not recently employed, and lack basic skills, as certified by a designated local agency.
  • Includes eligible foster‑care youth aged 16‑21 as a separate subcategory of disconnected youth.
  • Applies the amendments to individuals who begin work for an employer after the act’s enactment date.

Legislative Activity

Stay on top of the latest movement without scrolling through every action

1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S2453-2454)

May 11, 2021

View full timeline
SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

May 11, 2021

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S2453-2454)

May 11, 2021

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about S. 1560 on the floor

1 Democrat
Richard J. Durbin
Sen. Richard J. DurbinD-IL · May 11, 2021

Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the text of the bill be printed in the Record.

Bill Text

Latest available legislative text

Reading Mode
Latest
Introduced in SenateIssued May 11, 2021

II

117th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1560

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

May 11, 2021

Mr. Durbin (for himself and Ms. Duckworth) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the work opportunity credit for certain youth employees.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2021.

2.

Modification and extension of work opportunity credit for certain youth employees

(a)

Expansion of credit for summer youth

(1)

Credit allowed for year-round employment

Section 51(d)(7)(A) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended—

(A)

by striking clauses (i) and (iii) and redesignating clauses (ii) and (iv) as clauses (i) and (ii), respectively;

(B)

in clause (i) (as so redesignated), by striking (or if later, on May 1 of the calendar year involved),;

(C)

by striking the period at the end of clause (ii) (as so redesignated) and inserting , and; and

(D)

adding at the end the following new clause:

(iii)

who will be employed for not more than 20 hours per week during any period between September 16 and April 30 in which such individual is regularly attending any secondary school.

.

(2)

Increase in credit amount

Section 51(d)(7) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking subparagraph (B) and by redesignating subparagraph (C) as subparagraph (B).

(3)

Conforming amendments

(A)

Subparagraph (F) of section 51(d)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking summer.

(B)

Paragraph (7) of section 51(d) of such Code is amended—

(i)

by striking summer each place it appears in subparagraphs (A);

(ii)

in subparagraph (B), as redesignated by paragraph (2), by striking subparagraph (A)(iv) and inserting subparagraph (A)(ii); and

(iii)

by striking summer in the heading thereof.

(b)

Credit for disconnected youth

(1)

In general

Paragraph (1) of section 51(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking or at the end of subparagraph (I), by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (J) and inserting , or , and by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(K)

an disconnected youth.

.

(2)

Disconnected youth

Paragraph (14) of section 51(d) of such Code is amended to read as follows:

(14)

Disconnected youth

The term disconnected youth means any individual who—

(A)
(i)

is certified by the designated local agency as having attained age 16 but not age 25 on the hiring date, and

(ii)

has self-certified (on a form prescribed by the Secretary) that such individual—

(I)

has not regularly attended any secondary, technical, or post-secondary school during the 6-month period preceding the hiring date,

(II)

has not been regularly employed during such 6-month period, and

(III)

is not readily employable by reason of lacking a sufficient number of basic skills, or

(B)

is certified by the designated local agency as—

(i)

having attained age 16 but not age 21 on the hiring date, and

(ii)

an eligible foster child (as defined in section 152(f)(1)(C)) who was in foster care during the 12-month period ending on the hiring date.

.

(c)

Effective date

The amendments made by this section shall apply to individuals who begin work for the employer after the date of the enactment of this Act.