Bill > SB693

This bill establishes a new tax credit for qualified teachers in California, allowing them to claim a credit against their "net tax" (the amount of tax owed after certain deductions and other credits) for expenses incurred on instructional materials and classroom supplies. The credit is capped at $250 per teacher, or $500 for married couples filing jointly, and is available for taxable years beginning on or after January 1, 2014, and before January 1, 2019. To qualify, a teacher must have worked at least 900 hours in a school year, be primarily engaged in teaching, exercise discretion and independent judgment, and not be in a support role like a teaching assistant. The bill also limits the availability of this credit based on a teacher's years of employment, with stricter eligibility in earlier years of the credit's implementation. Importantly, this new credit replaces a previous tax credit for parents related to education expenses and is set to expire on December 1, 2019, unless extended by future legislation.