S. 3533: Responsible Estate Tax Act

111th Congress · introduced 2010-06-24 · Taxation · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2010-06-24 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
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

Responsible Estate Tax Act

Plain summary

Responsible Estate Tax Act - Repeals provisions of the Economic Growth and Tax Relief Reconciliation Act of 2001 (EGTRRA) eliminating the tax on estates and generation-skipping transfers and the step-up in basis provisions for property acquired from a decedent for estates of decedents dying after 2009 (thus restoring prior law). Declares that the sunset provision (general terminating date of December 10, 2010) of EGTRRA shall not apply to title V of such Act ( Estate, Gift, and Generation-Skipping Transfer Tax Provisions). Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) revise estate tax brackets for estates over $750,000 and impose a maximum tax rate of 55% on estates over $50 million; (2) impose a 10% surtax on estates over $500 million; (3) increase to $3 million the reduction in valuations of farmland for estate tax puposes; (4) increase to $2 million the maximum estate tax exclusion for contributions of conservation easements; (5) require executors of estates to file information returns and provide valuations and consistent basis information to persons acquiring property from decedents or by gift; (6) set forth estate valuation rules for certain transfers of nonbusiness assets and limit estate tax discounts for certain individuals with minority interests in a business acquired from a decedent; and (7) revise rules for valuing assets in grantor retained annuity trusts to require that the right to receive fixed amounts from an annuity last for a term of not less than 10 years, that such fixed amounts not decrease during the first 10 years of the annuity term, and that the remainder interest have a value greater than zero when transferred.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), 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

Responsible Estate Tax Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · 4 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] reported raising $26.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (2)

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.
Rulemaking: The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s3533.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s3533 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111