(a) The General Assembly directs the Joint State Government Commission to conduct or provide for a comprehensive study to determine whether alternative forms of special tax provisions for poverty would be more beneficial to persons who, because of poverty, are determined to be in need of special tax provisions.

(b) The study shall include a comparison between the special tax provisions for poverty set forth under section 304¹ and the earned income credit allowable under section 32 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (Public Law 99-514, 26 U.S.C. § 32), as amended.

(c) The study shall consider any effects of linking the alternative special tax provisions for poverty to Federal law, including any misuse that may be inherent in the Federal program.

(d) The study shall ascertain any differences between the fiscal costs to the Commonwealth of the special tax provisions for poverty set forth under section 304 and projected fiscal costs of other alternative provisions.

(e) The Joint State Government Commission is authorized to hire or retain consultants, utilizing a request for proposal procedure, as necessary to assist in the performance of its duties under this section.

(f) The executive director of the Joint State Government Commission shall present a report summarizing the results of this study to the chairman and the minority chairman of the Finance Committee of the Senate and the chairman and the minority chairman of the Finance Committee of the House of Representatives after August 1, 2009, and before September 1, 2009.