# 119-hr-7998: BRIDGE Act

119-hr-7998, BRIDGE Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-07-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7998
- As of: 2026-07-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-7998
- Congress: 119
- Title: BRIDGE Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-03-19
- Sponsor: Rep. Bell, Wesley [D-MO-1] (D-MO)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Taxation
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-07-11

## Summary

**Extends and expands the Work Opportunity Tax Credit (WOTC)** to let employers claim it later and to cover more types of hires. It targets people with felony histories and out-of-school youth. - Employers would be able to claim the credit for hires through December 31, 2030 instead of December 31, 2025, giving a longer window to use the incentive. - Creates a new "qualified criminal justice-impacted individual" category for people convicted of a felony or incarcerated or on probation at least 90 days. Employers must hire them within 3 years of conviction or release for the hire to qualify. - Adds a "qualified opportunity youth" category for individuals certified by a designated local agency as out-of-school youth under the Workforce Innovation and Opportunity Act. - Requires the Treasury to issue regulations or guidance to implement the changes and directs the Comptroller General to study the credit's administrative process and deliver a report to Congress within 1 year.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Del. Norton, Eleanor Holmes [D-DC-At Large] (D-DC), 2026-07-09T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Expanded hiring tax credit for employers: benefit, high. This bill would extend the Work Opportunity Tax Credit so employers could claim it for hires through December 31, 2030. The extension would apply only to people who begin work after the law is enacted. It would add two new eligible groups for the credit. A "qualified criminal justice-impacted indiv…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025
- 119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act
- 119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025
- 119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-7998 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/7998)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-6900: American Affordability Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6900)
- [119-hr-8870: BUILD America 250 Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8870)
- [119-hr-4669: FEMA Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4669)
- [119-hr-7977: Energy Bills Relief Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7977)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7998 (as of 2026-07-11).