17053.75.
(a) (1) For each taxable year beginning on or after January 1, 2023, and before January 1, 2028, there shall be allowed a credit against the “net tax,” as defined in Section 17039, in an amount as determined pursuant to paragraph (2), not to exceed thirty thousand dollars ($30,000) per qualified taxpayer per taxable year.(2) A qualified taxpayer shall be allowed the credit pursuant to this section in an amount equal to 40 percent of the amount paid or incurred by a qualified taxpayer during the taxable year for qualified wages of qualified employees not to exceed six thousand dollars ($6,000) per qualified employee.
(b) For purposes of this section:
(1) “Qualified employee” means an employee that meets all of the following criteria:
(A) Was hired on or after January 1, 2023.
(B) Is one of the following:
(i) A vocational rehabilitation referral.
(ii) A qualified SSI recipient.
(iii) A qualified SSDI recipient.
(C) Was not an employee of the qualified taxpayer in the previous five taxable years.
(2) “Qualified SSI recipient” means an individual who is receiving supplemental security income benefits under Title XVI of the Social Security Act, including supplemental security income benefits of the type described in Section 1616 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1382e) or Section 212 of Public Law 93-66, for any month ending within 60 days of the date that the qualified taxpayer hired the qualified employee.
(3) “Qualified SSDI recipient” means an individual who is certified by a designated local agency as receiving disability insurance benefits under Section 223 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 423) for any month ending within 60 days of the date that the qualified taxpayer hired the qualified employee.
(4) “Qualified taxpayer” means a taxpayer that operates a business and does not hold a certificate pursuant to subsection (c) of Section 214 of Title 29 of the United States Code.
(5) “Qualified wages” means wages for work performed in California for the first 12 months that a qualified employee is employed by the qualified taxpayer.
(6) “Vocational rehabilitation referral” means an individual who is certified by the Department of Rehabilitation as having both of the following:
(A) A physical or mental disability that constitutes or results in a substantial handicap to employment.
(B) A referral to the employer upon completion of or while receiving rehabilitative services pursuant to any of the following:
(i) An individualized written plan for employment under California’s plan for vocational rehabilitation services approved under the Rehabilitation Act of 1973 (29 U.S.C. Sec. 701).
(ii) A program of vocational rehabilitation carried out under Chapter 31 of Title 38 of the United States Code.
(iii) An individual work plan developed and implemented by an employment network pursuant to subsection (g) of Section 1148 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. Sec. 1320b-19).
(c) If the credit allowed by this section exceeds the “net tax,” the excess may be carried over to reduce the “net tax” in the following taxable year, and succeeding two years if necessary, until the credit is exhausted.
(d) The Employment Development Department, the Department of Rehabilitation, the California Workforce Development Board, and the State Council on Developmental Disabilities shall carry out their existing mandates to notify employers of the availability of the credit.
(e) If the credit allowed by this section is claimed by a qualified taxpayer, a deduction otherwise allowed under this part for any amount of wages paid or incurred by the qualified taxpayer as a trade or business expense to an eligible individual shall be reduced by the amount of credit allowed by this section.
(f) This section shall remain in effect only until December 1, 2028, and as of that date is repealed.