Ways and Means members today voted to pass four pieces of legislation that will make the IRS more accountable to the American people. This commonsense package of proposals, passed during “Tax Week,” will help improve customer service, prevent fraud, and ensure taxpayer dollars are being spent appropriately.

As Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX) said at the start of the mark up:

“It is safe to say that we are meeting to highlight the most unpopular week of the year in America – Tax Week. … Americans send a significant portion of their hard-earned dollars to the IRS every April. They deserve an IRS that is committed to delivering the highest level of customer service to American taxpayers.”

The four bills passed out of Committee today include:

H.R. 3724, the Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act of 2016. As bill sponsor Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) said:

“[This legislation] is a simple, bipartisan fix to a serious problem. The bill does what the IRS bureaucracy in Washington won’t – it stops the IRS from rehiring former employees who had been fired for cause.”

H.R. 4890, the IRS Bonuses Tied to Measurable Metrics Act. As bill sponsor Pat Meehan (R-PA) explained:

“The IRS has shown that it will prioritize bonuses over assisting taxpayers. This legislation would bring accountability to the process by requiring the IRS to complete a customer service strategy before paying out any more bonuses.”

H.R. 4885, the IRS Oversight While Eliminating Spending Act of 2016. As bill sponsor Rep. Jason Smith (R-MO) noted:

“The IRS OWES Act would allow the American people to have a say in how that money is used. No agency should be independent of Congress and the American people in its own funding. This legislation is about safe guarding the American taxpayer, making the IRS beholden to them and not the other way around.”

H.R. 1206, the No Hires for the Delinquent IRS Act, sponsored by Rep. David Rouzer (R-NC), who does not serve on the Ways and Means Committee. As Chairman Brady said:

“I commend Mr. Rouzer of North Carolina for helping to shine a light on the fact that some of the IRS’s own employees have serious delinquencies on their personal tax obligations … This is outrageous and the American people deserve better. [This] legislation is an important step toward creating accountability and restoring the public’s trust in the IRS.”

The House is expected to vote on these legislative proposals next week. For more information, click here.