[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6913 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
116th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 6913
To protect local media, and for other purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
May 15, 2020
Mr. Ryan (for himself, Ms. Norton, Mr. Huffman, Ms. Barragan, Mr.
Suozzi, Mr. Gonzalez of Texas, Mrs. Luria, Ms. Pingree, Mr. Cartwright,
Mr. Soto, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Raskin, Mr. Crist, Mr. Evans, Mr. Cohen,
Ms. Jackson Lee, Mr. Serrano, Ms. Johnson of Texas, Mr. Levin of
California, Mrs. Kirkpatrick, Ms. Kaptur, and Mr. Kilmer) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small
Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, for a period to
be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for
consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the
committee concerned
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To protect local media, and for other purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. REQUIREMENT TO ADVERTISE WITH LOCAL MEDIA.
(a) Requirement.--
(1) In general.--Each executive agency shall expend with
local media--
(A) during the period that begins on the date of
the enactment of this section and ends on December 31,
2020, 50 percent of the funds obligated by the agency
for advertising activities and underwriting activities
during such period; and
(B) during any period that begins on or after
January 1, 2021, 25 percent of the funds obligated by
the agency for advertising activities and underwriting
activities during the applicable period.
(2) Limitation.--Of the funds required to be expended under
paragraph (1), at least 45 percent of such funds shall be
expended equally between newspapers, television stations, and
radio stations that are local media.
(b) Use of Funds.--Each executive agency shall--
(1) expend the funds required to be expended under
subsection (a) in a nonpartisan and nonideological manner; and
(2) ensure that the funds are expended with local media on
a geographically equitable basis.
(c) Report to Congress.--Not later than 180 days after the date of
the enactment of this section, and each year thereafter, an executive
agency shall submit a report to Congress (and any committee of
jurisdiction) on, with respect to the prior year, funds expended by the
agency for advertising activities and underwriting activities,
including funds expended by the agency with local media in accordance
with subsection (a).
(d) Definitions.--In this section:
(1) Executive agency.--The term ``executive agency'' has
the meaning given that term in section 102 of title 31, United
States Code.
(2) Public broadcast station.--The term ``public broadcast
station'' has the meaning given the term under section 397 of
the Communications Act of 1934 (47 U.S.C. 397).
(3) Underwriting activity.--The term ``underwriting
activity'' means a payment by an executive agency to a public
broadcast station, or to support the production of programming
to be broadcast on such a station, in exchange for or with the
expectation of an announcement on the station receiving such
payment or a station broadcasting such programming that
acknowledges the financial support by such agency of such
station or programming.
SEC. 2. SMALL BUSINESS ASSISTANCE.
(a) Paycheck Protection Program.--Section 7(a)(36)(D)(iv) of the
Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 636(a)(36)(D)(iv)) is amended--
(1) in subclause (II), by striking ``and'' at the end;
(2) in subclause (III), by striking the period at the end
and inserting ``; and''; and
(3) by adding at the end the following new subclause:
``(IV) any business concern with
not more than 500 employees that, as of
the date on which the covered loan is
disbursed, is assigned a North American
Industry Classification System code of
511110, 515111, 515112, or 519130.''.
(b) Assistance.--The Commission shall supply local media who
qualify for a loan under section 7(a)(36) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 636(a)(36)), or any other loan administered by the Small
Business Administration, any information as may be necessary to connect
such local media with the Small Business Administration.
SEC. 3. EMERGENCY JOBS FOR JOURNALISM TAX CREDIT.
(a) In General.--In the case of an employer which is a qualified
local media company, there shall be allowed as a credit against the tax
imposed by section 3111(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 for
each calendar quarter an amount equal to 30 percent of the qualified
first-year newsroom wages paid by such employer with respect to such
calendar quarter.
(b) Limitations and Refundability.--
(1) Dollar limitation per employee.--The aggregate credits
allowed under subsection (a) (for all calendar quarters) shall
not exceed $20,000 with respect to any employee.
(2) Credit limited to certain employment taxes.--The credit
allowed by subsection (a) with respect to any calendar quarter
shall not exceed the tax imposed by section 3111(a) of such
Code for such calendar quarter (reduced by any other credits
enacted before the date of the enactment of this Act which are
allowed against such tax for such quarter) on the wages paid
with respect to the employment of all employees of the
employer.
(3) Refundability of excess credit.--
(A) In general.--If the amount of the credit under
subsection (a) exceeds the limitation of paragraph (2)
for any calendar quarter, such excess shall be treated
as an overpayment that shall be refunded under sections
6402(a) and 6413(b) of such Code.
(B) Treatment of payments.--For purposes of section
1324 of title 31, United States Code, any amounts due
to an employer under this paragraph shall be treated in
the same manner as a refund due from a credit provision
referred to in subsection (b)(2) of such section.
(c) Qualified First-Year Wages.--For purposes of this section, the
term ``qualified first-year wages'' means, with respect to any
employee, wages (as defined in section 51(c) of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986, without regard to paragraph (4) thereof) attributable to
service rendered as such an employee during the 1-year period beginning
with the day the individual begins work for the employer, but only if
such wages are for services provided in the news division of such
employer, including service as a reporter, staff writer, news producer,
or engineer.
(d) Qualified Local Media Company.--For purposes of this section,
the term ``qualified local media company'' means any employer which is
local media.
(e) Certain Individuals Ineligible.--
(1) Related individuals.--Rules similar to the rules of
section 51(i)(1) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 shall
apply for purposes of this section.
(2) Nonqualifying rehires.--No wages shall be taken into
account under subsection (a) with respect to any employee if
such individual had been employed by the employer at any time
prior to the hiring date of such employee and after the date of
the introduction of this Act.
(f) Application of Certain Other Rules.--Except as otherwise
provided by the Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's
delegate), rules similar to the rules of subsections (j) and (k) of
section 51 and section 52 shall apply for purposes of this section.
(g) Special Rules.--
(1) Denial of double benefit.--For purposes of chapter 1 of
such Code, the gross income of the employer, for the taxable
year which includes the last day of any calendar quarter with
respect to which a credit is allowed under this section, shall
be increased by the amount of such credit. Any wages taken into
account in determining the credit allowed under this section
shall not be taken into account for purposes of determining any
other credit allowed against any tax imposed under the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986.
(2) Election not to have section apply.--This section shall
not apply with respect to any employer for any calendar quarter
if such employer elects (at such time and in such manner as the
Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's delegate) may
prescribe) not to have this section apply.
(3) Certain terms.--Any term used in this section which is
also used in chapter 21 of such Code (and is not otherwise
defined for purposes of this section) shall have the same
meaning as when used in such chapter.
(h) Regulations.--The Secretary of the Treasury (or the Secretary's
delegate) shall prescribe such regulations or other guidance as may be
necessary to carry out the purposes of this section, including--
(1) regulations or other guidance to prevent the avoidance
of the purposes of the limitations under this section;
(2) regulations or other guidance to minimize compliance
and record-keeping burdens under this section;
(3) regulations or other guidance providing for waiver of
penalties for failure to deposit amounts in anticipation of the
allowance of the credit allowed under this section; and
(4) regulations or other guidance for recapturing the
benefit of credits determined under this section in cases where
there is a subsequent adjustment to the credit determined under
subsection (a).
(i) Application of Section.--This section shall apply only to wages
paid during calendar quarters ending after the date of the enactment of
this Act and beginning before January 1, 2022.
(j) Transfers to Federal Old-Age and Survivors Insurance Trust
Fund.--There are hereby appropriated to the Federal Old-Age and
Survivors Insurance Trust Fund and the Federal Disability Insurance
Trust Fund established under section 201 of the Social Security Act (42
U.S.C. 401) amounts equal to the reduction in revenues to the Treasury
by reason of this section (without regard to this subsection). Amounts
appropriated by the preceding sentence shall be transferred from the
general fund at such times and in such manner as to replicate to the
extent possible the transfers which would have occurred to such Trust
Fund had this section not been enacted.
SEC. 4. PUBLICATION OF WRITTEN NEWS ARTICLES AS TAX-EXEMPT PURPOSE.
(a) In General.--Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by inserting ``or for the publication (including
electronic publication) of written news articles by an independent or
community-based written news and electronic publication,'' after
``animals,''.
(b) Income From Advertising Not Unrelated Business Taxable
Income.--Section 512(a) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended
by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
``(8) Special rule applicable to news organizations
described in section 501(c)(3).--In the case of an independent
or community-based written news and electronic publication
which is described in section 501(c)(3) and exempt from tax
under section 501(a), the term `unrelated business taxable
income' does not include any amount attributable to payments
for advertisements in news publications.''.
(c) Expedited Application.--Section 508 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new
subsection:
``(g) Timing for Approval of Applications by News Organizations.--
In the case of an independent or community-based written news and
electronic publication which is described in section 501(c)(3), the
Secretary shall approve or deny such organization for recognition of
501(c)(3) status not later than the date that is 12 months after notice
is given under subsection (a).''.
(d) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply with respect to taxable years beginning after the date of the
enactment of this Act.
SEC. 5. SENSE OF CONGRESS REGARDING THE READY TO LEARN PROGRAM.
It is the sense of Congress that the Corporation for Public
Broadcasting should, to the extent possible under the agreement entered
by the Corporation for Public Broadcasting and the Department of
Education under section 4643 of the Elementary and Secondary Education
Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 7293), provide programming to preschool,
elementary, and secondary school children that promotes digital
literacy during the period in which such children are unable to attend
school due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
SEC. 6. DEFINITIONS.
In this Act:
(1) Commission.--The term ``Commission'' means the Federal
Communications Commission.
(2) Local media.--The term ``local media'' means a media
vehicle (such as a newspaper, electronic publication, radio
station, or television station) that--
(A) primarily serves the communications needs of
regional or local communities; and
(B) focuses on localized issues and events.
<all>
To protect local media, and for other purposes.
#6913 | HR Congress #116
Policy Area: Taxation
Subjects: Administrative law and regulatory proceduresAppropriationsBroadcasting, cable, digital technologiesCardiovascular and respiratory healthCongressional oversightDepartment of the TreasuryDisability assistanceEmergency medical services and trauma careEmployment taxesGovernment information and archivesGovernment lending and loan guaranteesGovernment trust fundsIncome tax exclusionInfectious and parasitic diseasesInternet and video servicesInternet, web applications, social mediaMarketing and advertisingNews media and reportingSmall business
Last Action: Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Oversight and Reform, Small Business, Energy and Commerce, and Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned. (5/15/2020)
Bill Text Source: Congress.gov
Summary and Impacts
Original Text