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HR 1901 112th Congress House

SAY YEA

Official title: To create and encourage the creation of jobs for youth, and for other purposes.

Introduced: May 13, 2011 See on congress.gov
Labor and Employment Alternative and renewable resourcesDepartment of the InteriorEducational facilities and institutionsEmployee hiring
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Employment and training programsForests, forestry, treesGovernment employee pay, benefits, personnel managementIncome tax creditsInfrastructure developmentParks, recreation areas, trailsPublic contracts and procurementRoads and highwaysSmall businessUnemploymentWages and earningsYouth employment and child labor
This bill died when the 112th Congress ended
It never became law before the 112th Congress (2011–2012) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 5 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Sep 8, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.
Jun 20, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on Technology, Information Policy, Intergovernmental Relations and Procurement Reform .
May 26, 2011
Referred to the Subcommittee on National Parks, Forests and Public Lands.
May 13, 2011
Referred to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Natural Resources, and Oversight and Government Reform, 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.
May 13, 2011
Introduced in House
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 Latest action September 8, 2011

Referred to the Subcommittee on Higher Education and Workforce Training.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Saving America's Youth: the Youth Employment Act of 2011 or SAY YEA - Amends the Workforce Act of 1998 regarding the work opportunity tax credit with respect to disconnected youth (who are not regularly attending school, not regularly employed, nor readily employable) hired in 2009 or 2010 under the youth opportunity grants program to lower the maximum eligibility age of such youth from 24 to 21.

Directs the Secretary of Labor (Secretary) to make certain allotments to states for summer jobs programs for disconnected youth.

Requires the Secretary to award grants to states to carry out employment programs for the partial reimbursement of wages paid by employers of small or medium-sized business concerns for new hires or rehires of former employees. Requires states to give priority for payments to eligible employers who hire or rehire a disconnected youth.

Requires the Secretary to make allotments and grants to states to carry out eligible on-the-job training programs for disconnected youth.

Directs the President to establish a public service employment program to employ individuals to carry out works of a public nature in connection with parks, roads, schools, and after-school programs. Requires priority for such jobs to be given to individuals who are disconnected, low-income, and long-term unemployed youth.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) extend the work opportunity tax credit through calendar 2016, (2) include as a member of a targeted group for purposes of such credit a qualified Title 1-B youth services recipient and rename a "qualified ex-felon" as a "qualified ex-offender" for purposes of the credit, (3) double the amount of allowable wages that may be considered in calculating such credit, (4) extend the designation period for tax-preferred empowerment zones, and (5) allow an employer tax credit through 2013 for the employment of disconnected youth.

Requires the Secretary of the Interior to give preference to the hiring of individuals age 16 to 21 for federal park and forestry jobs.

Authorizes contracting officers of executive agencies to give preference in the award of federal contracts for the procurement of goods and services to employers: (1) that employ, in a youth apprenticeship and in the performance of the contract, disconnected youth who reside in high unemployment areas; and (2) whose contracts are funded for FY2012 under a law enacted to create infrastructure, transportation, or green energy jobs.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 7
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 1901: SAY YEA. 112th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-1901/
MLA
"H.R. 1901: SAY YEA." 112th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-1901/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 1901, 112th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-1901/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 1901: SAY YEA](https://openamerica.io/bill/112-HR-1901/)
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