Rep. Stevens outlines $500 tax credit for employers under welfare‑to‑work bill with $10M annual cap

Representative Stevens presented House Bill 519 to the Rules Committee as a welfare‑to‑work proposal aimed at employers willing to hire workers who may be harder to place, including disabled veterans.

"This provides a $500 tax credit to the employers for taking a chance on these folks and getting them to work," Stevens said, adding the bill contains a $10,000,000 annual cap and an expiration date of Dec. 31, 2030. He told the committee the policy was estimated to save about $17,700 net per job.

Committee members listened and made light comments about the bill's passage out of the finance committee. No committee amendment or roll‑call vote occurred on the record; HB519 was later included in the package referred to standing rules.

If enacted, HB519 would create a limited, time‑bound employer tax credit intended to incentivize hiring from identified groups; the bill’s fiscal cap and sunset date would constrain the program’s size and duration.