A. There is hereby authorized a nonrefundable credit for businesses that hire participants in the work release programs provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 15:711, 1111, 1199.9, and 1199.10.

            B. For the purposes of this Section the following terms shall have the following meanings:

            (1) “Department” shall mean the Department of Revenue.

            (2) “Eligible business” shall mean a business that is subject to Louisiana income tax and participates in any of the work release programs provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 15:711, 1111, 1199.9, or 1199.10.

            (3) “Eligible job” shall mean the following:

            (a) A new job.

            (b) An existing job that has been vacant for at least one year.

            (c) An existing job that is vacant because the person who previously filled the job left voluntarily or was terminated for cause.

            (4) “Eligible re-entrant” shall mean an inmate or former inmate who is eligible to participate and is actively participating in a work release program provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 15:711, 1111, 1199.9, or 1199.10. An eligible re-entrant shall meet all of the criteria provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 15:1199.7.

            (5) “Secretary” shall mean the secretary of the Department of Revenue.

            C.(1) The amount of the credit provided for in this Section shall equal five percent of the total wages paid to an eligible re-entrant in an eligible job for twelve consecutive months following the release of the eligible re-entrant from imprisonment.

            (2) Notwithstanding the provisions of Paragraph (1) of this Subsection, the total amount of tax credits granted to any eligible business pursuant to this Section shall not exceed two thousand five hundred dollars per eligible re-entrant.

            D.(1) The credit shall be earned upon certification by the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or the applicable sheriff to the department that the eligible business employed an eligible re-entrant in an eligible job for twelve consecutive months following the release of the eligible re-entrant from imprisonment.

            (2) The credit shall be earned only once for each eligible re-entrant.

            E.(1) The credit shall be allowed against any Louisiana income or franchise tax due from an eligible business for the taxable period in which the credit is earned.

            (2) If the tax credit authorized pursuant to this Section exceeds the tax liability of an eligible business, the business may carry any unused credit forward and apply the unused credit against subsequent tax liability for a period not to exceed five years.

            F. Credits previously granted to an eligible business but later disallowed may be recovered by the secretary pursuant to the provisions provided for in La. Rev. Stat. 47:1561.3.

            G. A taxpayer shall not receive any other incentive for the job creation or hiring of an eligible re-entrant for which the taxpayer has received a tax credit pursuant to this Section.

            H. The department may promulgate rules in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act to establish procedures related to program eligibility and any other matter necessary to carry out this Section.

            I. No credit shall be granted pursuant to this Section after June 30, 2027.

            Acts 2021, No. 453, §1, eff. June 23, 2021.