Bill Details
HR.1151 - 119th Congress
Status
Latest action
2025-02-07 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
Introduced Date
2025-02-07
Policy Area
Taxation
Committees
View committees (1)
Cosponsors
View cosponsors (20)
- Rep. Horsford, Steven [D-Nevada-4]
- Rep. Hern, Kevin [R-Oklahoma-1]
- Rep. Larson, John B. [D-Connecticut-1]
- Rep. Finstad, Brad [R-Minnesota-1]
- Rep. McClellan, Jennifer L. [D-Virginia-4]
- Rep. Collins, Mike [R-Georgia-10]
- Rep. Panetta, Jimmy [D-California-19]
- Rep. Carey, Mike [R-Ohio-15]
- Rep. Subramanyam, Suhas [D-Virginia-10]
- Rep. Mrvan, Frank J. [D-Indiana-1]
- Rep. McCormick, Richard [R-Georgia-7]
- Rep. McGuire, John J. [R-Virginia-5]
- Rep. Van Duyne, Beth [R-Texas-24]
- Rep. Houlahan, Chrissy [D-Pennsylvania-6]
- Rep. Thompson, Glenn [R-Pennsylvania-15]
- Rep. Moore, Blake D. [R-Utah-1]
- Rep. Meuser, Daniel [R-Pennsylvania-9]
- Rep. Peters, Scott H. [D-California-50]
- Rep. McBath, Lucy [D-Georgia-6]
- Rep. Scholten, Hillary J. [D-Michigan-3]
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AI Summary This summary was generated by AI from the bill text. AI can get information wrong.
This bill would let families use money from 529 education savings accounts for more than just college costs. It would add certain job training and career credential expenses to the list of allowed uses, so people could pay for approved postsecondary credential programs, required tests, and continuing education needed to keep a license or credential. In simple terms, the bill is meant to make 529 plans work for students and workers who are earning career credentials, not only traditional college degrees.
- It would cover costs such as tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment needed for a recognized credential program.
- It would also allow 529 funds to pay for testing fees when a test is required to get or keep a credential.
- Continuing education fees would be allowed if the education is needed to maintain a credential, license, or certification.
- The bill defines covered programs and credentials broadly, including approved state programs, Veterans Affairs and military credential directories, apprenticeships, certain state or federal licenses, and other industry-recognized credentials approved by the government.
The change would apply to 529 withdrawals made after the bill becomes law.
Official Summaries
Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow’s Workforce Act
This bill expands the expenses eligible for tax-free withdrawals from a qualified tuition program (known as a 529 plan) to include tuition, fees (including test fees), books, supplies, equipment, and other expenses related to the enrollment or attendance in a recognized postsecondary credentialing program.
Under the bill, a recognized postsecondary credentialing program includes certain programs identified by a state as providing training services, a program listed in the Web Enabled Approval Management System (WEAMS) maintained by the Department of Veterans Affairs, certain examinations required to obtain or maintain a credential, and other reputable credentialing programs.
Further, under the bill, such programs must be designed for an individual to obtain
- an industry-recognized postsecondary employment credential (e.g., project management professional certificate, advanced emergency medical technician certificate, and welding supervisor certificate),
- a certificate of completion of a registered and certified apprenticeship,
- an occupational or professional license issued or recognized by a state or the federal government (and any certification required for obtaining such license), or
- an associate or baccalaureate degree.
Current Full Text
[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1151 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
119th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 1151
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat certain
postsecondary credentialing expenses as qualified higher education
expenses for purposes of 529 accounts.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
February 7, 2025
Mr. Wittman (for himself, Mr. Horsford, Mr. Hern of Oklahoma, Mr.
Larson of Connecticut, Mr. Finstad, Ms. McClellan, Mr. Collins, Mr.
Panetta, Mr. Carey, and Mr. Subramanyam) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means
_______________________________________________________________________
A BILL
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to treat certain
postsecondary credentialing expenses as qualified higher education
expenses for purposes of 529 accounts.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the
United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ``Freedom to Invest in Tomorrow's
Workforce Act''.
SEC. 2. CERTAIN POSTSECONDARY CREDENTIALING EXPENSES TREATED AS
QUALIFIED HIGHER EDUCATION EXPENSES FOR PURPOSES OF 529
ACCOUNTS.
(a) In General.--Section 529(e)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of
1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
``(C) Certain postsecondary credentialing
expenses.--The term `qualified higher education
expenses' includes qualified postsecondary
credentialing expenses (as defined in subsection
(f)).''.
(b) Qualified Postsecondary Credentialing Expenses.--Section 529 is
amended by redesignating subsection (f) as subsection (g) and by
inserting after subsection (e) the following new subsection:
``(f) Qualified Postsecondary Credentialing Expenses.--For purposes
of this section--
``(1) In general.--The term `qualified postsecondary
credentialing expenses' means--
``(A) tuition, fees, books, supplies, and equipment
required for the enrollment or attendance of a
designated beneficiary in a recognized postsecondary
credential program, or any other expense incurred in
connection with enrollment in or attendance at a
recognized postsecondary credential program if such
expense would, if incurred in connection with
enrollment or attendance at an eligible educational
institution, be covered under subsection (e)(3)(A),
``(B) fees for testing if such testing is required
to obtain or maintain a recognized postsecondary
credential, and
``(C) fees for continuing education if such
education is required to maintain a recognized
postsecondary credential.
``(2) Recognized postsecondary credential program.--For
purposes of this subparagraph, the term `recognized
postsecondary credential program' means any program to obtain a
recognized postsecondary credential if--
``(A) such program is included on a State list
prepared under section 122(d) of the Workforce
Innovation and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3152(d)),
``(B) such program is listed in the WEAMS Public
directory (or successor directory) maintained by the
Department of Veterans Affairs,
``(C) an examination (developed or administered by
an organization widely recognized as providing
reputable credentials in the occupation) is required to
obtain or maintain such credential and such
organization recognizes such program as providing
training or education which prepares individuals to
take such examination, or
``(D) such program is identified by the Secretary,
after consultation with the Secretary of Labor, as
being a reputable program for obtaining a recognized
postsecondary credential for purposes of this
subparagraph.
``(3) Recognized postsecondary credential.--The term
`recognized postsecondary credential' means--
``(A) any postsecondary employment credential that
is industry recognized, including--
``(i) any postsecondary employment
credential issued by a program that is
accredited by the Institute for Credentialing
Excellence, the National Commission on
Certifying Agencies, or the American National
Standards Institute,
``(ii) any postsecondary employment
credential that is included in the
Credentialing Opportunities On-Line (COOL)
directory of credentialing programs (or
successor directory) maintained by the
Department of Defense or by any branch of the
Armed Services, and
``(iii) any postsecondary employment
credential identified for purposes of this
clause by the Secretary, after consultation
with the Secretary of Labor, as being industry
recognized,
``(B) any certificate of completion of an
apprenticeship that is registered and certified with
the Secretary of Labor under the National
Apprenticeship Act (29 U.S.C. 50),
``(C) any occupational or professional license
issued or recognized by a State or the Federal
Government (and any certification that satisfies a
condition for obtaining such a license), and
``(D) any recognized postsecondary credential as
defined in section 3(52) of the Workforce Innovation
and Opportunity Act (29 U.S.C. 3102).''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to distributions made after the date of the enactment of this
Act.
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