Energy Conservation Tax Incentive Act of 1980
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Energy Conservation Tax Incentive Act of 1980 - Title I: Residential Energy Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to eliminate the requirement that limits tax credits for energy conservation expenditures to expenditures made with respect to the taxpayer's principal residence. Extends the residential energy credit to landlords. Permits the allocation of the energy credit among joint owners. Increases the residential energy credit for conservation expenditures to 30 percent of such expenditures up to a maximum of $4,000. Allows a residential energy credit for: (1) a heat pump which replaces an electric resistance space or water heating system or is used as a back-up system for a solar hot water heater; (2) an airtight woodburning stove; (3) a replacement oil or gas furnace or boiler which meets specified energy efficiency standards; (4) a replacement coal furnace or boiler which is part of a central heating system; (5) an evaporative cooling device; and (6) a replacement item which is at least 15 percent more efficient than the item it replaces. Increases the residential energy credit for renewable energy sources expenditures (solar and wind energy) to 50 percent of such expenditures up to a maximum of $10,000. Qualifies expenditures for the drilling of an onsite well drilled for any geothermal deposit for the residential energy credit, but disallows an income tax deduction for such expenditures if the credit is taken. Title II: Business Energy Credit - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to increase the energy percentage for the investment tax credit to 20 percent during the period beginning on January 1, 1980, and ending on December 31, 1982. Allows investment tax credit treatment for waste heat recovery equipment and energy replacement property which is at least ten percent more efficient that the property which it replaces. Title III: Credit for Energy Audits, Etc. - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a nonrefundable income tax credit equal to the sum of the energy audit credit, the energy monitoring credit, and the alcohol fuel conversion credit. Defines "energy audit credit" as 75 percent of the amount paid to a licensed engineer for an assessment of the energy efficiency of a building. Defines "energy monitoring credit" as 50 percent of the amount paid to a licensed engineer for monitoring energy saving devices installed in a building. Defines "alcohol fuels conversion credit" as the amount paid to convert a motor vehicle to the use of alcohol as its sole fuel, but not in excess of $500.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 26, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on February 26, 1980: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
KENNETH KRAMER (R-CO) introduced it on February 26, 1980, and 8 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 3 Democrats, 5 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 26, 1980, 16999 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16999 days ago, on February 26, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers