{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["https://steube.house.gov/press-releases/steube-barrasso-taxpayer-privacy-bill-advances-out-of-ways-and-means-committee/", "Steube, Barrasso Taxpayer Privacy Bill Advances Out of Ways and Means Committee", "2025-12-11", "2025", "2025-12", "Republican", "House", "FL", "W. Gregory Steube", "S001214", "steube.house.gov", "steube", "https://steube.house.gov/category/press-releases/page/", "scraper", "Steube, Barrasso Taxpayer Privacy Bill Advances Out of Ways and Means Committee\n\nWatch Representative Steube\u2019s Remarks Here\n\nWASHINGTON \u2014 U.S. Representative Greg Steube (R-Fla.) announced that the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act, introduced with Senator John Barrasso, has advanced out of the Ways and Means Committee. Rep. Steube\u2019s bill, which would address inadequacies with federal laws requiring the IRS to provide notice to taxpayers of third-party contacts, was approved unanimously by the Committee in a vote of 41-0.\n\n\u201cThis legislation is about building a healthier relationship between taxpayers and their government, one that respects privacy and due process while still ensuring the IRS can do its job,\u201d said Rep. Steube in his remarks. \u201cFor law-abiding Americans, compliance is already complicated enough. The least we can do is ensure that when the IRS intends to go outside the taxpayer to gather information the taxpayer can provide, the taxpayer gets clarity\u2014what exactly is being sought\u2014and a fair chance to respond.\u201d\n\n\u201cI want to thank Representative Steube for his leadership in advancing our bipartisan Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act through the Ways and Means Committee,\u201d said Senator Barrasso. \u201cThis bill will safeguard the rights of hardworking Americans and small businesses by preventing the IRS from going behind their backs to solicit personal financial information.\u201d\n\n\u201cFairness is the cornerstone principle of tax administration,\u201d said Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (R-Miss.). \u201cWhen the IRS contacts third parties seeking information, taxpayers have the right to know what the government is looking for and deserve a fair chance to respond first. Thanks to Representative Steube\u2019s leadership, the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act will rein in the IRS from contacting those close to a taxpayer and first allow citizens the first opportunity to resolve questions from the IRS without risking reputational harm.\u201d\n\nJoining Rep. Steube as a co-lead on the Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act is Rep. Jimmy Panetta (D-Calif.). The bill also has the support of the National Taxpayers Union.\n\nBackground: While current law requires the IRS provide taxpayers advance notice before contacting third parties (banks, employers, customers, etc.), the federal government has failed to provide sufficient notice to the respective individuals concerning the nature of the information being sought from said third parties. The Taxpayer Notification and Privacy Act would ensure the IRS identify each specific item of information it intends to seek in its third party contact notice to the taxpayer. It would also require the IRS provide said individual a reasonable amount of time to review and respond to the third party contact notice before the agency can proceed.", 1, "2026-03-30T01:40:41Z", "2026-04-06T20:09:11Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["https://steube.house.gov/press-releases/steube-barrasso-taxpayer-privacy-bill-advances-out-of-ways-and-means-committee/"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8895119428634644, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}