Sections 77-2901 to 77-2912 shall be known and may be cited as the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act.

For purposes of the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act:

(1) Department means the Department of Revenue;

(2) Eligible expenditure means any cost incurred for the improvement of historically significant real property located in the State of Nebraska, including, but not limited to, qualified rehabilitation expenditures as defined in section 47(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, and the related regulations thereunder, if such improvement is in conformance with the standards;

(3) Historically significant real property means a building or an at-grade or aboveground structure used for any purpose, except for a single-family detached residence, which, at the time of final approval of the work by the officer pursuant to section 77-2906, is:

(a) Individually listed in the National Register of Historic Places;

(b)(i) Located within a district listed in the National Register of Historic Places; and

(ii) Determined by the officer as being historically significant to such district;

(c)(i) Individually designated pursuant to a landmark ordinance or resolution enacted by a political subdivision of the state, which ordinance or resolution has been approved by the officer; and

(ii) Determined by the officer as being historically significant; or

(d)(i) Located within a district designated pursuant to a preservation ordinance or resolution enacted by a county, city, or village of the state or political body comprised thereof providing for the rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration of historically significant real property, which ordinance or resolution has been approved by the officer; and

(ii) Determined by the officer as contributing to the historical significance or economic viability of such district;

(4) Improvement means a rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration project that contributes to the basis, functionality, or value of the historically significant real property and has a total cost which equals or exceeds five thousand dollars;

(5) Officer means the State Historic Preservation Officer;

(6) Person means any natural person, political subdivision, limited liability company, partnership, private domestic or private foreign corporation, or domestic or foreign nonprofit corporation certified pursuant to section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended;

(7) Placed in service means that either (a) a temporary or final certificate of occupancy has been issued for the improvement or (b) the improvement is sufficiently complete to allow for the intended use of the improvement; and

(8) Standards means (a) the Secretary of the Interior's Standards for the Treatment of Historic Properties as promulgated by the United States Department of the Interior or (b) specific standards for the rehabilitation, preservation, and restoration of historically significant real property contained in a duly adopted local preservation ordinance or resolution that has been approved by the officer pursuant to section 77-2903.

For purposes of establishing standards under subdivision (8)(b) of section 77-2902, the officer shall approve a duly adopted local preservation ordinance or resolution if such ordinance or resolution meets the following requirements:

(1) The ordinance or resolution provides for specific standards and requirements regarding building exteriors that reflect the heritage, values, and character of the political subdivision adopting such ordinance or resolution; and

(2) The ordinance or resolution requires that any building to be rehabilitated, preserved, or restored shall have been originally constructed at least fifty years prior to the proposed rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration and the facade of such building shall not have undergone material structural alteration since its original construction, unless the rehabilitation, preservation, or restoration to be performed proposes to restore the facade to substantially its original condition.

(1) Any person incurring eligible expenditures may receive a nonrefundable credit against any income tax imposed by the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967 or any tax imposed pursuant to sections 44-101 to 44-165, 77-907 to 77-918, or 77-3801 to 77-3807 for the year the historically significant real property is placed in service.

(2) For historically significant real property located in a county that includes a city of the metropolitan class or a city of the primary class, the credit shall be equal to twenty-five percent of eligible expenditures. For historically significant real property located in any other county, the credit shall be equal to thirty percent of eligible expenditures. In all cases, the maximum credit allocated to any one project shall be two million dollars.

(3) Any taxpayer that claims a tax credit shall not be required to pay any additional retaliatory tax under section 44-150 as a result of claiming such tax credit. Any tax credit claimed under this section shall be considered a payment of tax for purposes of subsection (1) of section 77-2734.03.

(4) To claim the credit authorized under this section, a person must first apply and receive an allocation of credits and application approval under section 77-2905 and then request and receive final approval under section 77-2906.

(5) Interest shall not be allowed on any refund paid under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act.

(1) Prior to commencing work on the historically significant real property, a person shall file an application for credits under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act containing all required information with the officer on a form prescribed by the officer and shall include an application fee established by the officer pursuant to section 77-2907. The application shall include plans and specifications, an estimate of the cost of the project prepared by a licensed architect, licensed engineer, or licensed contractor, and a request for a specific amount of credits based on such estimate. The officer shall review the application and, within twenty-one days after receiving the application, shall determine whether the information contained therein is complete. The officer shall notify the applicant in writing of the determination within five business days after making the determination. If the officer fails to provide such notification as required, the application shall be deemed complete as of the twenty-first day after the application is received by the officer. If the officer determines the application is complete or if the application is deemed complete pursuant to this section, the officer shall reserve for the benefit of the applicant an allocation of credits in the amount specified in the application and determined by the officer to be reasonable and shall notify the applicant in writing of the amount of the allocation. The allocation does not entitle the applicant to an issuance of credits until the applicant complies with all other requirements of the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act for the issuance of credits. The date the officer determines the application is complete or the date the application is deemed complete pursuant to this section shall constitute the applicant's priority date for purposes of allocating credits under this section. For complete applications receiving an allocation under this section, the officer shall determine whether the application conforms to the standards, and, if so, the officer shall approve such application or approve such application with conditions. If the application does not conform to the standards, the officer shall deny such application. The officer shall promptly provide the person filing the application and the department with written notice of the officer's determination. If the officer does not provide a written notice of his or her determination within thirty days after the date the application is determined or deemed to be complete pursuant to this section, the application shall be deemed approved. The officer shall notify the department of any applications that are deemed approved pursuant to this section. If the officer denies the application, the credits allocated to the applicant under this subsection shall be added to the annual amount available for allocation under subsection (2) of this section. Any denial of an application by the officer pursuant to this section may be appealed, and the appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(2) For calendar years beginning before January 1, 2024, the total amount of credits that may be allocated by the officer under this section in any calendar year shall be limited to fifteen million dollars, of which four million dollars shall be reserved for applications seeking an allocation of credits of less than one hundred thousand dollars. For calendar years beginning on or after January 1, 2024, the total amount of credits that may be allocated by the officer under this section in any calendar year shall be limited to two million dollars. If the amount of credits allocated in any calendar year is less than the maximum amount of credits available under this section for that year, the unused amount shall be carried forward to subsequent years and shall be available for allocation in subsequent years until fully utilized, except as otherwise provided in section 77-2912. If the amount of credits reserved for applications seeking an allocation of credits of less than one hundred thousand dollars is not allocated by April 1 of any calendar year, such unallocated credits for the calendar year shall be available for any application seeking an allocation of credits based upon the applicant's priority date as determined by the officer. The officer shall allocate credits based on priority date, from earliest to latest. If the officer determines that the complete applications for credits in any calendar year exceed the maximum amount of credits available under this section for that year, only those applications with a priority date on or before the date on which the officer makes that determination may receive an allocation in that year, and the officer shall not make additional allocations until sufficient credits are available. If the officer suspends allocations of credits pursuant to this section, applications with priority dates on or before the date of such suspension shall retain their priority dates. Once additional credits are available for allocation, the officer shall once again allocate credits based on priority date, from earliest to latest, even if the priority dates are from a prior calendar year.

(3) The holder of an allocation of credits whose application was approved under this section shall start substantial work pursuant to the approved application within twenty-four months after receiving notice of approval of the application or, if no notice of approval is sent by the officer, within twenty-four months after the application is deemed approved pursuant to this section. Failure to comply with this subsection shall result in forfeiture of the allocation of credits received under this section. Any such forfeited allocation shall be added to the aggregate amount of credits available for allocation for the year in which the forfeiture occurred.

(4) Notwithstanding subsection (1) of this section, the person applying for the credit under this section may, at its own risk, incur eligible expenditures up to six months prior to the submission of the application required under subsection (1) of this section if such eligible expenditures are limited to architectural, engineering, accounting, and legal fees and any costs generally related to the protection of the historically significant real property from deterioration.

(1)(a) Within twelve months after the date on which the historically significant real property is placed in service, a person whose application was approved under section 77-2905 shall file a request for final approval containing all required information with the officer on a form prescribed by the officer and shall include a fee established by the officer pursuant to section 77-2907. The officer shall then determine whether the work substantially conforms to the application approved under section 77-2905. If the work substantially conforms and no other significant improvements have been made to the historically significant real property that do not substantially comply with the standards, the officer shall approve the request for final approval. The person whose request is approved shall then apply to the department to determine the amount of eligible expenditures, calculate the amount of the credit, and issue a certificate to the person evidencing the credit. If the work does not substantially conform to the approved application or if other significant improvements have been made to the historically significant real property that do not substantially comply with the standards, the officer shall deny the request for final approval and provide the person with a written explanation of the decision. The officer shall make a determination on the request for final approval in writing within thirty days after the filing of the request. If the officer does not make a determination within thirty days after the filing of the request, the request shall be deemed approved and the person may apply to the department to determine the amount of eligible expenditures, calculate the amount of the credit, and issue a certificate evidencing the credit.

(b) The department shall determine the amount of eligible expenditures, calculate the amount of the credit, and issue one or more certificates evidencing the credit within sixty days after receiving an application pursuant to subdivision (1)(a) of this section. The person filing the application and the department may also agree to extend the sixty-day period, but such extension shall not exceed an additional thirty days. If the department does not determine the amount of eligible expenditures, calculate the amount of the credit, and issue one or more certificates evidencing the credit within such sixty-day period or agreed-upon longer period, the credit shall be deemed to have been issued by the department for the amount requested in such person's application, except that such amount shall not exceed one hundred ten percent of the amount of credits allocated by the officer under section 77-2905 and such amount shall not increase or decrease the total amount of credits that may be allocated by the officer under section 77-2905 in any calendar year.

(c) Any denial of a request for final approval by the officer or any determination of the amount of eligible expenditures or calculation of the amount of the credit by the department pursuant to this section may be appealed, and the appeal shall be in accordance with the Administrative Procedure Act.

(2) The department shall divide the credit and issue multiple certificates to a person who qualifies for the credit upon reasonable request.

(3) In calculating the amount of the credits to be issued pursuant to this section, the department may issue credits in an amount that differs from the amount of credits allocated by the officer under section 77-2905 if such credits are supported by eligible expenditures as determined by the department, except that the department shall not issue credits in an amount exceeding one hundred ten percent of the amount of credits allocated by the officer under section 77-2905. If the amount of credits to be issued under this section is more than the amount of credits allocated by the officer pursuant to section 77-2905, the department shall notify the officer of the difference and such amount shall be subtracted from the annual amount available for allocation under section 77-2905. If the amount of credits to be issued under this section is less than the amount of credits allocated by the officer pursuant to section 77-2905, the department shall notify the officer of the difference and such amount shall be added to the annual amount available for allocation under section 77-2905.

(4) The department shall not issue any certificates for credits under this section until the recipient of the credit has paid to the department:

(a) A fee equal to one-quarter of one percent of the credit amount. The department shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer for credit to the Civic and Community Center Financing Fund; and

(b) A fee equal to six-tenths of one percent of the credit amount. The department shall remit such fees to the State Treasurer for credit to the Department of Revenue Enforcement Fund.

(5) If the recipient of the credit is (a) a corporation having an election in effect under subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, (b) a partnership, or (c) a limited liability company, the credit may be claimed by the shareholders of the corporation, the partners of the partnership, or the members of the limited liability company in the same manner as those shareholders, partners, or members account for their proportionate shares of the income or losses of the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company, or as provided in the bylaws or other executed agreement of the corporation, partnership, or limited liability company. Credits granted to a partnership, a limited liability company taxed as a partnership, or other multiple owners of property shall be passed through to the partners, members, or owners, respectively, on a pro rata basis or pursuant to an executed agreement among the partners, members, or owners documenting any alternate distribution method.

(6) Subject to section 77-2912, any credit amount that is unused may be carried forward to subsequent tax years until fully utilized.

(7) Credits allowed under this section may be claimed for taxable years beginning or deemed to begin on or after January 1, 2015, under the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended.

The officer shall establish and collect the application fee required under section 77-2905 and the fee for the request for final approval required under section 77-2906. Such fees shall be in amounts sufficient to offset the costs of processing and monitoring applications filed under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act. Such fees shall be remitted by the officer to the State Treasurer for credit to the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Fund.

All or a portion of the credits received under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act shall be subject to recapture by the department from the foreclosure of a lien which shall, as a condition of the department issuing credits under the act, be imposed on the historically significant real property as a lien having the priority of a tax lien pursuant to the filing of a notice of lien. Credits shall be subject to recapture from the person owning the historically significant real property on the date the officer determines the recapture event occurred if at any time during the five years after the historically significant real property is placed into service the officer determines the historically significant real property has been the subject of work not in substantial conformance with the approved application or the documents from which the credit was calculated. If the person owning the historically significant real property on the date the officer determines the recapture event occurred is a corporation having an election in effect under subchapter S of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, a partnership, or a limited liability company, the liability of the shareholders, partners, or members for recapture shall be proportionate to their ownership in the applicable corporation, partnership, or limited liability company. Any action to recapture credits under this section may proceed only after a written notice is given to the person owning the historically significant real property on the date the officer determines the recapture event occurred and that person is allowed a six-month cure period. Thereafter, the credit shall be subject to recapture as follows:

(1) If the event causing recapture occurs during the first year after the historically significant real property is placed into service, one hundred percent of the credit may be recaptured;

(2) If the event causing recapture occurs during the second year after the historically significant real property is placed into service, eighty percent of the credit may be recaptured;

(3) If the event causing recapture occurs during the third year after the historically significant real property is placed into service, sixty percent of the credit may be recaptured;

(4) If the event causing recapture occurs during the fourth year after the historically significant real property is placed into service, forty percent of the credit may be recaptured; and

(5) If the event causing recapture occurs during the fifth year after the historically significant real property is placed into service, twenty percent of the credit may be recaptured.

(1) Persons who receive the original issuance of credits from the department under section 77-2906 may transfer, sell, or assign up to fifty percent of such credits to any person or legal entity. If the person who receives the original issuance of credits from the department is a political subdivision or a tax-exempt entity under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, as amended, such fifty-percent limitation shall not apply.

(2) The credits allowed to be transferred, sold, or assigned pursuant to subsection (1) of this section may thereafter be transferred, sold, or assigned multiple times, either in whole or in part, by or to any person or legal entity.

(3) Any person acquiring credits under this section may use such credits to offset up to one hundred percent of such person's income tax due under the Nebraska Revenue Act of 1967 or any tax due under sections 44-101 to 44-165, 77-907 to 77-918, or 77-3801 to 77-3807 in the year the historically significant real property is placed in service and in subsequent years until all credits have been utilized, except as otherwise provided in section 77-2912. Any taxpayer that claims a tax credit shall not be required to pay any additional retaliatory tax under section 44-150 as a result of claiming such tax credit. Any tax credit claimed shall be considered a payment of tax for purposes of subsection (1) of section 77-2734.03.

(4) The person transferring, selling, or assigning the credits shall notify the officer and the department in writing within fifteen calendar days following the effective date of the transfer, sale, or assignment and shall remit to the department the certificate issued for the credits that were transferred, sold, or assigned. The department shall then issue new certificates as necessary to effectuate the transfer, sale, or assignment. The issuance of the new credits by the department shall perfect the transfer, sale, or assignment of credits.

(5) The department shall develop a system to track the transfer, sale, and assignment of credits and to certify the ownership of the credits.

(6) The department shall have, with respect to the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act, all authority granted to it in section 77-27,119.

(1) The Nebraska State Historical Society and the department may each adopt and promulgate rules and regulations to carry out the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act.

(2) The Nebraska State Historical Society and the department shall annually issue a joint report electronically to the Revenue Committee of the Legislature no later than December 31 of each year. The report shall include, but not be limited to, (a) the total number of applications submitted under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act, (b) the number of applications approved or conditionally approved, (c) the number of applications outstanding, if any, (d) the number of applications denied and the basis for denial, (e) the total amount of eligible expenditures approved, (f) the total amount of credits issued, claimed, and still available for use, (g) the total amount of fees collected, (h) the name and address location of each historically significant real property identified in each application, whether approved or denied, (i) the total amount of credits transferred, sold, and assigned and a certification of the ownership of the credits, (j) the total amount of credits claimed against each tax type by category, and (k) the total amount of credits recaptured, if any. No information shall be provided in the report that is protected by state or federal confidentiality laws.

The Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Fund is created. The fund shall be administered by the Nebraska State Historical Society and shall consist of all fees credited to the fund pursuant to section 77-2907. The fund shall be used to administer and enforce the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act. Any money in the fund available for investment shall be invested by the state investment officer pursuant to the Nebraska Capital Expansion Act and the Nebraska State Funds Investment Act.

There shall be no new applications filed under the Nebraska Job Creation and Mainstreet Revitalization Act after December 31, 2030. All applications and all credits pending or approved before such date shall continue in full force and effect, except that no credits shall be allocated under section 77-2905, issued under section 77-2906, or used on any tax return or similar filing after December 31, 2035.