# 119-s-1210: Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2025

119-s-1210, Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2025, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2025-12-20).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1210
- As of: 2025-12-20
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-s-1210
- Congress: 119
- Title: Helping to Encourage Real Opportunities (HERO) for Youth Act of 2025
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-03-31
- Sponsor: Sen. Durbin, Richard J. [D-IL] (D-IL)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Taxation
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2025-12-20

## Summary

**Expands and boosts the Work Opportunity Credit for youth.** The bill would stretch the credit beyond summer, raise the credit amount for qualifying hires, and create a new ‘disconnected youth’ category that includes foster youth. - Youth and families: Eligible young workers could qualify for the credit during more of the year. Students who work while attending secondary school would generally be limited to no more than 20 hours per week between September 16 and April 30. - Employers: Businesses would be able to claim a larger credit for qualifying youth hires and for hires that meet the new disconnected youth rules. The changes would apply to individuals who begin work after enactment. - Foster youth: The bill creates a foster-care pathway. Individuals ages 16 to 21 who were in foster care during the 12 months before hiring can qualify; other disconnected youth are ages 16 to 25 who self-certify limited recent school and work history and lack basic skills, with certification by a designated local agency.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Sen. Duckworth, Tammy [D-IL] (D-IL), 2025-03-31T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Tax credit for hiring disconnected youth: benefit, high. If enacted, employers would be able to claim the Work Opportunity Tax Credit when they hire a new "disconnected youth." The bill would create two ways to qualify: (A) people aged 16 but not 25 who are certified by a local agency and who self‑certify they were not regularly in school or employed in…

## Related bills

- 119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026
- 119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026
- 119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026
- 119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026
- 119-s-2823: FAMILY Act

## Sources
- [119-s-1210 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/senate-bill/1210)

## Related
- [119-s-5066: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5066)
- [119-s-5071: Children's Safe Welcome Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-5071)
- [119-s-3597: National Quantum Initiative Reauthorization Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3597)
- [119-s-4504: Full-Service Community School Expansion Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-4504)
- [119-s-3990: PrEP Access and Coverage Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-3990)
- [119-s-2823: FAMILY Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-2823)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-s-1210 (as of 2025-12-20).