To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a temporary deduction for travel expenses for the costs of travel after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2002.

November 13, 2001

Mrs. MINK of Hawaii introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow individuals a temporary deduction for travel expenses for the costs of travel after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2002.

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Travel Stimulus Act of 2001'.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY DEDUCTION FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENSES.

(a) IN GENERAL- Part VII of subchapter B of chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by redesignating section 223 as section 224 and by inserting after section 222 the following new section:

`SEC. 223. TEMPORARY DEDUCTION FOR PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENSES.

`(a) IN GENERAL- In the case of an individual, there shall be allowed as a deduction the amount of the personal travel expenses paid or incurred during the taxable year for the personal travel of the taxpayer, the taxpayer's spouse, or any dependent (as defined in section 152).

`(b) PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENSES- For purposes of this section, the term `personal travel expenses' means expenses (not otherwise allowable as a deduction under this chapter) for--

`(1) transportation within, or which originates within, an area of the United States if such transportation is by air, bus, rail, or vessel to a destination at least 500 miles away from the taxpayer's residence,

`(2) hotel, motel, or similar lodging while traveling within such an area, and

`(3) meals and other miscellaneous travel costs.

`(c) APPLICATION OF SECTION- This section shall apply only to amounts paid after September 11, 2001, and before September 12, 2002.'

(b) DEDUCTION ALLOWED WHETHER OR NOT TAXPAYER ITEMIZES OTHER DEDUCTIONS- Section 62(a) of such Code is amended by inserting after paragraph (18) the following:

`(19) TEMPORARY DEDUCTION FOR COST OF PERSONAL TRAVEL EXPENSES- The deduction allowed by section 223.'.

(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT- The table of sections for part VII of subchapter B of chapter 1 of such Code is amended by striking the last item and inserting the following new items:

`Sec. 223. Temporary deduction for personal travel expenses.

`Sec. 224. Cross reference.'

(d) EFFECTIVE DATE- The amendments made by this section shall apply to taxable years ending after September 11, 2001.

END