{"bills":[{"photos":{"featured":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/s790-114/featured_economic-freedom-zones-act-of-2015-1470788347.jpg","featured_large":"https://assets.countable.us/bill/photo/s790-114/featured_large_economic-freedom-zones-act-of-2015-1470788347.jpg","shareable":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/s790-114.png"},"introduced_on":"2015-03-18","title_override":"Would 'Economic Freedom Zones' Drive Job Growth in Impoverished Areas?","summary_override":"

This bill aims to facilitate job growth, entrepreneurship, and improved educational opportunities by creating \"Economic Freedom Zones\" in economically distressed areas. Individuals and businesses investing in those areas would receive tax breaks and would be exempt from complying with certain regulations.

An area designated as an Economic Freedom Zone would be prohibited from receiving federal assistance (e.g. loans, loan guarantees, or purchases). Economic Freedom Zones would be defined as a state, municipality, zip code, or rural area that is:

A debtor in a bankruptcy;
An insolvent municipality or state that can no longer pay its debts;
Eligible for bankruptcy;
Blighted with poverty and high rates of unemployment (defined as 1.5 times the national average or more).

After an Economic Freedom Zone is designated, this bill would activate tax incentives for individuals and corporations to invest in them by establishing:

5 percent flat tax rate on individual & corporate income in the zone;
0 percent capital gains tax rate on profits from the sale of assets and property in Economic Freedom Zones -- which could be tangible assets like property or intangible like stocks;
Reduced employment tax rates;
Increased allowance for business property expensing.

Economic Freedom Zones would be exempt from having to comply with some environmental regulations, historic preservation requirements, and wage rate requirements under the Davis-Bacon Act.

This bill amends the tax code to allow:

A\n $5000 tax credit for a student attending elementary or secondary school\n whose primary residence is in an Economic Freedom Zone.
A tax-exempt educational savings account for individuals living in an Economic Freedom Zone.
A\n tax credit, rather than a tax deduction, for contributions to a \ncharitable organization serving individuals in an Economic Freedom Zone.

The\n Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 would be amended to \nallow special allocation of grant funds to children whose families live \nin an Economic Freedom Zone and whose incomes are below the federal \npoverty level.

To widen the pool of \ninvestors, the Secretary of Homeland Security (DHS) and Secretary of \nLabor to issue Special Economic Freedom Zone Visas to aliens meeting \neducational & skill requirements who seek to enter the U.S. to \ninvest in Economic Freedom Zones.

","official_title":"A bill to provide for the establishment of free market enterprise zones in order to help facilitate the creation of new jobs, entrepreneurial opportunities, enhanced and renewed educational opportunities, and increase community involvement in bankrupt or economically distressed areas.","short_title":"Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015","popular_title":null,"short_summary":"Economic Freedom Zones Act of 2015\n\nProhibits federal assistance (e.g., loans, loan guarantees, or purchases) from being provided to: (1) a municipality or a zip code (eligible entity), other than an entity that is designated an Economic Free Zone by this Act; (2) a municipality that is a debtor in a bankruptcy proceeding; or (3) a municipality that is insolvent.\n\nSets forth requirements for the designation of an eligible entity that is a municipality as an Economic Freedom Zone for a 10-year period, including bankruptcy eligibility, insolvency, or pervasive poverty, unemployment, and general distress.\n\nAmends the Internal Revenue Code to provide tax incentives for investment in an Economic Freedom Zone, including; (1) a 5% flat tax rate on the taxable income of individuals and corporations, (2) a 0% capital gains tax rate for gain from the sale or exchange of Economic Freedom Zone assets or real property, (3) reduced employment tax rates, and (4) an increase in the expensing allowance ...","summarized":true,"cost":null,"cost_commentary":"A CBO cost estimate is unavailable.","impact":"Families & individuals who live in an Economic Freedom Zone, prospective investors and entrepreneurs, areas designated as Economic Freedom Zones, state & local governments, the Internal Revenue Service, the Department of Education, the Department of Labor, the Environmental Protection Agency, the Department of Homeland Security.","argument_for":"This bill would incentivize entrepreneurs to invest and create jobs in economically depressed communities to revitalize themselves, and it doesn’t require a federal bailout or stimulus.","argument_against":"Economically distressed communities will need more assistance than just tax breaks. This bill doesn’t provide for government spending on infrastructure and public services.","bill_type":"s","published":true,"type":"FederalBill","id":"s790-114","bill_id":"s790-114","formal_id":"S. 790","chamber":"senate","congress":114,"last_action_at":"2015-03-18T00:00:00.000Z","active":false,"enacted":false,"enacted_at":null,"vetoed":false,"last_vote_at":null,"debated_on":null,"congress_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/senate-bill/790","plain_text_url":"http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/BILLS-114s790is/html/BILLS-114s790is.htm","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/bills/s790-114.png","congress_full_text_url":"https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th/senate-bill/790/text","is_current_congress":false,"last_version_on":"2015-03-18","related_bill_ids":[],"progress":"Introduced","house_passage_result":false,"senate_passage_result":false,"position_count":308,"committees":[{"name":"Committee on Finance","chamber":"senate","committee_id":"SSFI","subcommittee":false}],"links":{"rollCalls":"/api/roll_calls?bill_id=s790-114","details":"/api/bills/s790-114/details","sharingMessage":"/api/sharing_messages/s790-114","positionsFor":"/api/bills/s790-114/positions/for","positionsAgainst":"/api/bills/s790-114/positions/against"},"upcoming":false,"cosponsors_count":1,"slug":"s790-114-economic-freedom-zones-act-of-2015","latest_chamber_votes_id":null,"official_url":null,"target_video":true,"following":false,"vote_count":2521,"yea_vote_count":1329,"nay_vote_count":1184,"passed_house":false,"passed_senate":false,"vote_id":null,"my_position_id":null,"topic_ids":["economy"],"issue_ids":["economy","banking"],"sponsor_id":533}],"votes":[],"issues":[{"id":"economy","name":"Economy","slug":"economy","description":"The US Economy is heavily impacted by Federal legislation. Here you can find bills encompassing US monetary policy, the US Federal Budget, overall government spending, appropriations and how we handle the US federal debt and state finances. ","page_title":"Legislation related to the US Economy, monetary policy, the federal budget and government spending - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/black_economy-1429042041.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/grey_economy-1429042041.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/economy/white_economy-1429042041.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false},{"id":"banking","name":"Banking","slug":"banking","description":"Vote on the latest federal legislation regarding Banking. Make your voice heard about the issues you care about.\r\n","page_title":"Banking Legislation - Vote on Bills, Stay informed, Hold Your Reps Accountable","icons":{"black":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/banking/black_banking-1429042064.svg","grey":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/banking/grey_banking-1429042064.svg","white":"https://assets.countable.us/issue/icon/banking/white_banking-1429042064.svg"},"cover_image_url":null,"is_following":false}],"users":[{"name":"PatriotPride","vote_count":34,"photos":{"large":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","small":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png","tiny":"https://countable-us.s3.amazonaws.com/user/avatar/default-with-flags.png"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/LWgQ0pzm/following","followers":"/api/users/LWgQ0pzm/followers"},"about_me":"Constitutional Libertarian and supporter Reaganomics, Free Trade, and the 2nd Amendment","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":null,"youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"patriotpride","issue_count":47,"is_following":null,"influence_score":180,"influence_level":20,"follower_count":5,"following_count":5,"position_count":6,"id":"LWgQ0pzm","partner_id":null},{"name":"bart","vote_count":648,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/large_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","small":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/small_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/0emQpZxM/tiny_0emqpzxm-1424728285.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/548826295/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/0emQpZxM/following","followers":"/api/users/0emQpZxM/followers"},"about_me":"\"You can fool all the people some of the time, and some of the people all the time, but you cannot fool all the people all the time\" Abraham Lincoln / Bob Marley. Believer in the power of an informed populace using smart tools at the right time. @Countable founder.","twitter_id":"bartolah","facebook_id":"bartmyers","youtube_id":null,"google_plus_id":"","website":"","slug":"bart","issue_count":55,"is_following":null,"influence_score":75555,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":1970,"following_count":924,"position_count":55,"id":"0emQpZxM","partner_id":null},{"name":"Loraki","vote_count":1197,"photos":{"large":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/large_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","small":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/small_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","tiny":"https://assets.countable.us/user/avatar/8mrgkD9d/tiny_8mrgkd9d-1485722796.jpg","facebook":"https://graph.facebook.com/100000827158540/picture"},"links":{"following":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/following","followers":"/api/users/8mrgkD9d/followers"},"about_me":"I'm a member of the Church of Christ (non-institutional). God gave us a pattern to follow for the Church and for how we should live. He DIDN'T say that following it is OPTIONAL! Nor did He say we could make changes to His pattern! I believe that there will be an eternal home of the soul - Heaven or Hell - and that Christ will judge us on the last day. I believe that Jesus is the Son of God!\n\nI am NOT\n• a Catholic\n• a Protestant\n• a Baptist\n• a Methodist\n• a Mormon\n• an Episcopalian\n• a Pentacostal\nor member of any other denomination.\n\n• I AM A CHRISTIAN, PERIOD!\n• I AM A MEMBER OF THE CHURCH OF CHRIST, PERIOD! \n• I ACKNOWLEDGE NO HEAD OF THE CHURCH EXCEPT CHRIST JESUS, THE SON OF GOD, PERIOD! \n• I FOLLOW NO MANMADE CREED, BUT THE BIBLE ONLY, WHICH IS THE INSPIRED WORD OF GOD, PERIOD!\n\nI'm a 4th. generation Texan & the mother of 2 sons. I'm retired. I love the mountains and I like Oberhasli dairy goats, organic gardening, science fiction, astronomy, camping, and hunting. I'm very fond of my OESheepdog and my Norwegian Forest cat, too.\n\n• I'm a Constitutional Conservative and a patriot. \n•. I support the Tea Party. \n• I'm for limited government and free market capitalism. \n• I'm also for school choice and school prayer. \n• I'm against abortion and same-sex \"marriage\". \n• I'm TOTALLY AGAINST the implementation of Shariah law at any level in the United States! \n• I'm for SECURE BORDERS and reduced immigration, especially of Muslims! \n• I believe ALL illegal aliens should be deported. Those who enter our country illegally should not be given special privileges at the taxpayers' expense! \n• I believe that Congress should balance the budget and Uncle Sam should live within his means - without raising taxes! \n• I also believe in \"peace through strength\" - keep our military strong and keep out the transgenders! Freedom of religion applies to the military as well as civilians! I'm AGAINST allowing foreigners to join our military! That includes Obama's Dreamers! \n• I want to see a ban on GMOs! \n• I want to see the federal government OUT OF education! \n• Audit the Fed! \n• Abolish the IRS! \n• Just say \"NO\" to political correctness and race-baiting!\n\nThis is not a complete description of what I stand for. If you have specific questions about me, it can't hurt to ask! I might even answer! :-D #MakeDCListen\n\nTHIS IS MY COUNTRY!\n\nI AM TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH MUSLIM JIHADISTS AND ILLEGAL ALIENS IN MY COUNTRY, WHO ARE BRINGING DRUGS, DISEASE, AND CRIME, WHILE BEING CODDLED BY MY GOVERNMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF THE AMERICAN CITIZENS! IT'S NOT RIGHT FOR US TO HAVE TO SUFFER THIS INVASION BY PEOPLE WHO DON'T RESPECT OUR LAWS, OUR PLEDGE OF ALLEGIANCE, OUR FLAG, OUR LANGUAGE (That's ENGLISH!), OR OUR CULTURE! AND I'M TIRED OF AND FED UP WITH HAVING TO \"PRESS 1 FOR ENGLISH\"! WE NEED A MORATORIUM ON MUSLIM IMMIGRATION AND WE NEED TO KICK OUT ALL OF THE ILLEGAL ALIENS WHO BY DEFINITION ARE CRIMINALS! WE NEED TO MAKE OUR GOVERNMENT UNDERSTAND THAT WE DON'T WANT AMERICA TURNED INTO A THIRD WORLD CESSPOOL!\n\nI AM NOT ANTI-IMMIGRANT. I AM FOR THE RULE OF LAW. I DON'T CARE WHAT COLOR YOUR SKIN IS OR WHAT YOUR NATIVE LANGUAGE IS. BUT IF YOU COME TO MY COUNTRY TO LIVE, I EXPECT YOU TO LEARN AND SPEAK ENGLISH AND TO OBEY OUR LAWS! NONE OF THAT SHARIAH STUFF! WE HAVE FREEDOM OF RELIGION HERE IN AMERICA, AND ISLAM IS A CLEAR AND PRESENT DANGER TO THAT FREEDOM! SPARE ME YOUR TAQIYYA AND HUDNA! YOU WANT TO BELIEVE MUHAMMAD IS A PROPHET OF GOD? THAT IS YOUR RIGHT, BUT IT IS OUR RIGHT TO DISAGREE WITH YOUR BELIEFS. IT IS NOT YOUR RIGHT TO KILL US FOR DISAGREEING! IF YOU DON'T LIKE OUR LAWS, YOU HAVE THE RIGHT TO TRY TO CHANGE THEM THROUGH LEGAL AND PEACEFUL MEANS, BUT MANY OF US WILL PEACEFULLY AND RESPECTFULLY (insofar as it is possible) DO OUR UTMOST TO PREVENT YOU FROM SUCCEEDING, IF YOUR GOAL IS CULTURAL AND POLITICAL JIHAD.\n\nTHIS IS THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA, AND WE HAVE A HERITAGE OF HONOR, PRIDE AND COURAGE. OUR NATION, MOREOVER, WAS FOUNDED ON CHRISTIAN PRINCIPLES! OUR REVERENCE FOR GOD AND HIS CHRIST AND THE HOLY BIBLE IS WHAT ENABLED AMERICA TO BECOME GREATLY BLESSED BY GOD. WE HAVE OUR PROBLEMS; WE ARE NOT PERFECT, BUT WE WILL FIGHT THE POWERS OF DARKNESS AND EVIL, SO HELP US, GOD!\n\nTHIS IS AMERICA! LOVE IT OR LEAVE IT!!!","twitter_id":null,"facebook_id":"lafigarus","youtube_id":"LauraroseofTexas","google_plus_id":null,"website":null,"slug":"loraki","issue_count":120,"is_following":null,"influence_score":46880,"influence_level":40,"follower_count":530,"following_count":3685,"position_count":910,"id":"8mrgkD9d","partner_id":null}],"bill_position":{"flagged":false,"id":"e073a47e-0d82-4629-905b-12aece2c60be","argument_for":"Reaganomics 101. Enough of this over-taxing on business owners. Cut the taxes and the tax base will grow as new jobs are created with the money that was saved by the owners by not having to pay these outrageous tax rates. ","argument_against":null,"show_argument_for":true,"show_argument_against":false,"upvote_count":2,"upvotes_for_count":2,"upvotes_against_count":null,"has_upvoted":false,"endorsement_count":2,"links":{"self":"https://www.countable.us/positions/e073a47e-0d82-4629-905b-12aece2c60be"},"body":"Reaganomics 101. Enough of this over-taxing on business owners. Cut the taxes and the tax base will grow as new jobs are created with the money that was saved by the owners by not having to pay these outrageous tax rates. ","stance":"yea","created_at":"2016-08-12T23:36:59.338Z","shareable_image_url":"https://n.countable.us/share-images/positions/e073a47e-0d82-4629-905b-12aece2c60be.png","note_color":null,"note_text":null,"bill_id":"s790-114","user_id":"LWgQ0pzm","endorser_ids":["0emQpZxM","8mrgkD9d"]}}

Like Countable?

PatriotPride

Would 'Economic Freedom Zones' Drive Job Growth in Impoverished Areas?