H.R. 3159: Family Business Preservation Estate Tax Act

115th Congress · introduced 2017-06-29 · Taxation · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-06-29 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
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.
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

Family Business Preservation Estate Tax Act

Plain summary

Family Business Preservation Estate Tax Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, with respect to the estate tax, to allow the value of the taxable estate to be reduced by the adjusted value of family-owned business interests that: (1) are included in determining the value of the gross estate, and (2) are acquired by or passed to an heir from the decedent. The deduction may not exceed the greater of: (1) the basic exclusion amount in effect for the calendar year that includes the death of the decedent ($5.49 million for 2017), or (2) the value of farmland which constitutes the family-owned business interest. The bill imposes a specified additional estate tax if, within 10 years of the decedent's death and before the heir's death: (1) material participation requirements are not met with respect to the family-owned business interest, (2) the heir disposes of any portion of the family-owned business interest (other than by a disposition to a member of the heir's family or through a qualified conservation contribution), (3) the heir loses U.S. citizenship or ceases to be a lawful permanent resident and the interest was not acquired or is not held in a qualified trust, or (4) the principal place of business of a trade or business of the family-owned business ceases to be located in the United States.

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

Family Business Preservation Estate Tax Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Thompson, Mike [D-CA-5] reported raising $5.5 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)

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).
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

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-115hr3159.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr3159 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115