H.R. 4936: Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-04-14 · Commerce · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2016-04-14 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on the Constitution and Civil Justice. 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

Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016

Plain summary

Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016 This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) repeal the estate and generation-skipping transfer taxes, and (2) make permanent the maximum 35% gift tax rate and the lifetime gift tax exemption, with adjustments for inflation. The Paperwork Reduction Act is amended to direct federal agency heads not to impose civil fines for first-time paperwork violations by small businesses unless specified criteria are met. The Department of Labor shall study the effects of occupational licensing requirements to determine how they may affect public safety and the service quality of certain occupations, and impose barriers to entry for establishing small businesses, among other negative effects. The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to revise the formula for counting the hours of service of non-full-time employees in determining whether an employer is a large employer for health coverage purposes. An individual or an eligible small business may enter into an agreement with the Department of the Treasury to establish in a bank or other eligible trust a small business start-up savings account for tax-deductible annual contributions by the account beneficiary. The sanctions requirements of Rule 11 of the Federal Rules of Civil Procedure are revised to require the court to impose an appropriate sanction on any attorney, law firm, or party that has violated, or is responsible for the violation of, the rule with regard to representations to the court. Requires any sanction to compensate parties injured by the conduct in question. The Internal Revenue Code is further amended to: allow businesses with average annual gross receipts of not more than $50 million that prevail to recover their costs in any administrative or court proceeding involving the determination, collection, or refund of tax, interest, or penalty; increase the amount of civil damages against Internal Revenue Service officers or employees for reckless, intentional, or negligent disregard of internal revenue laws, and extend the statute of limitations for bringing a claim; and increase the penalties against federal officers or employees for unlawful acts in connection with internal revenue laws and for unauthorized disclosures or inspections of tax returns.

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

Main Street Jobs and Opportunity Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Walberg, Tim [R-MI-7] reported raising $2.2 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 (5)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.
Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Exemption: A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.
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.
Statute: A written law passed by a legislature. A statute can be changed by a later law; changing a constitution needs an amendment.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-114hr4936.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/hr>

Record fed-us-cong114-hr4936 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114