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H.R. 6499: Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2008

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H.R. 6499: Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2008

110th Congress · introduced 2008-07-15 · Taxation · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2008-07-15 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2008

Plain summary

Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2008 - Repeals provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Reconciliation Act of 2001 relating to the estate and gift tax. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) allow an estate tax exclusion of $2 million adjusted for inflation in calendar years after 2008; (2) revise the estate tax rates for larger estates; (3) restore the estate tax credit for state estate, inheritance, legacy, or succession taxes; (4) restore the unified credit against the gift tax; and (5) allow a surviving spouse an increase in the unified estate tax credit by the amount of any unused credit of a deceased spouse.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Sensible Estate Tax Act of 2008

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Arguments against (opponents)

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. McDermott, Jim [D-WA-7] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Danny K. Davis (D-IL)

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Estate tax
A tax on the property of a person who has died, paid from the estate before what is left passes to the heirs. Compare inheritance tax.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong110-hr6499 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong110 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong110