,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #cgi  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #e1       
#bjae,mr4 ,coons 7for himself1 ,mr4     
,merkley1 ,mr4 ,king1 ,mr4 ,manchin1    
,ms4 ,heitkamp1 ,mrs4 ,shaheen1 ,mr4    
,kaine1 ,mr4 ,franken1 and ,ms4 ,hirono7
 introduced the following bill2 which   
was read twice and referred to the      
,committee on ,finance  ,a ,,bill  ,to  
amend the ,internal ,revenue ,code of   
#aihf to expand and modify the credit   
for employee health insurance expenses  
of small employers4  #a4 ,short title   
,this ,act may be cited as the ,small   
,business ,tax ,credit ,accessibility   
,act4  #b4 ,expansion and modification  
of credit for employee health insurance 
expenses of small employers  7a7        
,expansion of definition of eligible    
small employer ,subparagraph 7,a7 of    
section #de,r7d77#a7 of the ,internal   
,revenue ,code of #aihf is amended by   
striking #be and inserting #ej4  7b7    
,amendment to phaseout determination    

,subsection 7c7 of section #de,r of the 
,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf is    
amended to read as follows3  7c7        
,phaseout of credit amount based on     
number of employees and average wages   
,the amount of the credit determined    
under subsection 7b7 7without regard to 
this subsection7 shall be adjusted 7but 
not below zero7 by multiplying such     
amount by the product of-- 7#a7 the     
lesser of-- 7,a7 a fraction the         
numerator of which is the excess 7if    
any7 of #ej over the total number of    
full-time equivalent employees of the   
employer and the denominator of which is
 #cj1 and  7,b7 #a1 and  7#b7 the lesser
 of-- 7,a7 a fraction-- 7i7 the         
numerator of which is the excess 7if    
any7 of-- 7,i7 the dollar amount in     
effect under subsection 7d77#c77;,b7 for
 the taxable year1 multiplied by #c1    
over  7,,ii7 the average annual wages of
 the employer for such taxable year1 and
  7ii7 the denominator of which is the  
dollar amount so in effect under        

subsection 7d77#c77;,b71 multiplied by  
#b1 and  7,b7 #a4  4  7c7 ,extension of 
credit period ,paragraph 7#b7 of section
 #de,r7e7 of the ,internal ,revenue     
,code of #aihf is amended by striking   
#b-;consecutive-taxable year period and 
all that follows and inserting          
8#c-;consecutive-taxable year period    
beginning with the #ast taxable year    
beginning after #bjad in which--  7,a7  
the employer 7or any predecessor7 offers
 #a or more qualified health plans to   
its employees through an ,exchange1 and 
7,b7 the employer 7or any predecessor7  
claims the credit under this section4  4
  7d7 ,average annual wage limitation   
,subparagraph 7,b7 of section           
#de,r7d77#c7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code of #aihf is amended to read as    
follows3  7,b7 ,dollar amount ,for      
purposes of paragraph 7#a77;,b7 and     
subsection 7c77#b71 the dollar amount in
 effect under this paragraph is the     
amount equal to #aaj percent of the     
poverty line 7within the meaning of     

section #cf;,b7d77#c77 for a family of  
#d4  4  7e7 ,elimination of uniform     
percentage contribution requirement     
,paragraph 7#d7 of section #de,r7d7 of  
the ,internal ,revenue ,code of #aihf is
 amended by striking a uniform          
percentage 7not less than #ej percent7  
and inserting at least #ej percent4  7f7
 ,elimination of cap relating to average
 local premiums ,subsection 7b7 of      
section #de,r of the ,internal ,revenue 
,code of #aihf is amended by striking   
the lesser of and all that follows and  
inserting the aggregate amount of       
nonelective contributions the employer  
made on behalf of its employees during  
the taxable year under the arrangement  
described in subsection 7d77#d7 for     
premiums for qualified health plans     
offered by the employer to its employees
 through an ,exchange44  7g7 ,conforming
 amendment relating to annual wage      
limitation ,subparagraph 7,b7 of section
 #de,r7d77#a7 of the ,internal ,revenue 
,code of #aihf is amended by striking   

twice and inserting three times4  7h7   
,effective date ,the amendments made by 
this section shall apply to amounts paid
 or incurred in taxable years beginning 
after ,december #ca1 #bjad4