H.R. 396: Tax Accountability Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-01-10 · Government Operations and Politics · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2017-01-10 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3] · 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 Oversight and Government Reform. 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

Tax Accountability Act of 2017

Plain summary

Tax Accountability Act of 2017 This bill declares that no government contracts or grants should be awarded to individuals or companies with seriously delinquent federal tax debts. Agencies offering a grant or issuing a solicitation for bids or a request for proposals for a contract in an amount greater than the simplified acquisition threshold (currently $150,000) shall require each person that submits a grant application, bid, or proposal to: (1) certify whether such person has a seriously delinquent tax debt, and (2) authorize the Department of the Treasury to disclose to the agency whether the person has a seriously delinquent tax debt. Agencies shall consider a person who has a seriously delinquent tax debt not to be a responsible source and thus the person may not be awarded contracts. Agencies must consider a grant applicant who has a seriously delinquent tax debt high risk, shall decline the grant application, and must ensure that the applicant does not receive future grants offered by the agency. Subject to waiver, agencies shall initiate a suspension or debarment proceeding against a person making offers or applying for grants who has a seriously delinquent tax debt or who falsely certified whether the person has a seriously delinquent tax debt. Individuals with seriously delinquent tax debts are not eligible for federal employment. Agencies must provide for review of public records to determine if a tax lien has been filed on employees or applicants for employment. Agencies may take certain personnel action against employees who fail to file a tax return or understate their tax liability.

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

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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

Tax Accountability Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Chaffetz, Jason [R-UT-3] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

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)

Authorization: A law that creates or continues a government program and says what it may do, often with a suggested spending ceiling. An authorization alone does not provide money; a separate appropriation does.
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).

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-115hr396.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/115/hr>

Record fed-us-cong115-hr396 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115