A Republican bill with 5 Republican cosponsors · See all 5 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the "Strengthen Taxpayer Rights Act of 2026," aims to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It focuses on limiting how Internal Revenue Service staff participate in conferences held by the Independent Office of Appeals. Specifically, it requires the consent of a taxpayer before certain IRS employees can appear in these resolution conferences. The changes would apply to any conferences held after the act is enacted.
Yes· 3 of 6
- Scored +4
Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts?
The bill strengthens the procedural rights of taxpayers by giving them the ability to limit which IRS staff attend their appeal conferences.
- Scored +3
Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices?
The bill increases taxpayer control by allowing them to consent to the presence of specific IRS staff during dispute resolution conferences.
- Scored +2
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill provides additional procedural protections for taxpayers engaging in the IRS appeals process.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Increased Control Over Appeal Conferences: Under Section 2(a), a taxpayer who requests an appeal gains the right to give or withhold consent regarding which IRS individuals appear in their conference. This means a taxpayer can prevent certain IRS employees from participating unless they agree to it.
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Protection of the Independence of the Appeals Process: By requiring consent, the bill ensures that only employees of the Independent Office of Appeals—and those specifically approved by the taxpayer—are present during the resolution process, as described in Section 2(a).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would high-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides additional procedural protections for taxpayers engaging in the IRS appeals process. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill provides additional procedural protections for taxpayers engaging in the IRS appeals process. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill provides additional procedural protections for taxpayers engaging in the IRS appeals process.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this protect the right to fair treatment by the courts? — The bill strengthens the procedural rights of taxpayers by giving them the ability to limit which IRS staff attend their appeal conferences. Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill provides taxpayers with more control over the personnel involved in their interactions with the government during the appeals process.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this give people more protection from unfair business practices? — The bill increases taxpayer control by allowing them to consent to the presence of specific IRS staff during dispute resolution conferences.
- 4/13/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 4/2/2026
- 3 Cosponsors added.
- 3/27/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Erin HouchinRepublican · Indiana
Pat HarriganRepublican · North Carolina
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Zachary NunnRepublican · Iowa
Randy WeberRepublican · Texas