Today, Ways and Means Committee Chairman Jason Smith (MO-08) delivered the following remarks during House debate on H.R. 1155, the Recovery of Stolen Checks Act.
As prepared for delivery.
“I rise today in support of H.R. 1155, the Recovery of Stolen Checks Act.
“With the April 15th tax filing deadline right around the corner, we are reminded of the need to make the IRS more responsive to the American people. Unfortunately, the manner in which the IRS currently responds to stolen tax refund checks is truly insane.
“Right now, if someone has their refund check stolen out of the mail, the IRS will replace that stolen check by sending another one – through the mail. It should surprise no one to learn that quite often that replacement check is also stolen out of the mail.
“There’s no law keeping the IRS from sending a replacement check through a direct deposit to a bank. However, currently the IRS does not have procedures in place for a taxpayer to make such a request. This bill fixes that flaw.
“I wish to commend my Ways and Means Committee colleagues Representatives Malliotakis, Kustoff, and Sewell for their bipartisan leadership on this issue. In Representative Malliotakis’s district alone, they have seen $3.8 million in IRS tax refund checks stolen out of the mail.
“Taxpayers that are victims of this crime need to be made whole. They do not need to jump through more hoops or deal with the hassle of seeing their replacement refund checks stolen as well.
“This legislation received unanimous approval in the Ways and Means Committee, and I encourage my colleagues to give it an equally strong bipartisan vote here in the House.”