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H.R. 6956: BARCODE Efficiency Act

119th Congress · introduced 2026-01-07 · Taxation · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

federal

What does this mean?

Official title

BARCODE Efficiency Act

Plain summary

Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act or the BARCODE Efficiency Act This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to use barcodes, barcode scanning technology, and optical character recognition (or similar) technology to digitize certain federal tax return information and correspondence, unless the technology is slower or less reliable than other IRS processes (subject to conditions). Specifically, the bill requires a scannable barcode on electronically-prepared federal tax returns that are printed and filed in paper format with the IRS. The bill also requires the IRS to use barcode scanning technology to convert data included on such returns into an electronic format. Further, the bill requires the IRS to use optical character recognition (or similar) technology to transcribe federal tax returns and correspondence received by the IRS that are not prepared electronically and are received in paper format. However, under the bill, the use of barcodes, barcode scanning technology, and optical character recognition (or similar) technology is not required if (1) such technology is slower or less reliable than manual transcription or any other IRS process, and (2) the IRS provides a report to Congress regarding the determination to not use such technology.

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

BARCODE Efficiency Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] · 1 cosponsors

Money: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 6956, BARCODE Efficiency Act (2026-04-21) No linked contracts or vendors yet.

Words on this page, explained (1)
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

Record fed-us-cong119-hr6956 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong119 · updated 2026-11-03 by psicol fed-bills