Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an above-the-line deduction against individual income tax for interest on indebtedness and for State and local sales and excise taxes with respect to the purchase of certain motor vehicles.

11/19/2008--Introduced.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a deduction from gross income for: (1) interest paid on indebtedness (up to $49,500) incurred after November 12, 2008, and before January 1, 2010, for the purchase of a motor vehicle (i.e., passenger automobile or light truck) with a gross vehicle weight rating of not more than 8,500 pounds; and (2) state and local sales and excise taxes imposed on the purchase of such a motor vehicle.

Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10607)

Bill Text
A bill making supplemental appropriations for job creation and preservation, infrastructure investment, and economic and energy assistance for the fiscal year ending September 30, 2009, and for other purposes. 11/17/2008--Introduced. Economic Recovery Act of 2008 - Makes supplemental appropriations for FY2009 for infrastructure, energy, and economic recovery for: (1) the Department of Agriculture; (2) the Department of Commerce; (3) the Department of Justice (DOJ); (4) the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA); (5) the Legal Services Corporation; (6) the Department of Defense (DOD) - Civil for the Department of the Army Corps of Engineer; (7) the Department of Energy (DOE); (8) the Department of the Treasury, including the Office of Inspector General; (9) the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC); (10) the General Services Administration (GSA); (11) the Small Business Administration (SBA); (12) the Department of Homeland Security (DHS); (13) the Department [...]

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Latest Action: 11/19/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S10609-10610)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow an above-the-line deduction against individual income tax for interest in indebtedness and for State sales and excise taxes with respect to the purchase of certain motor vehicles.

11/17/2008--Introduced.

Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual taxpayers a deduction from gross income for: (1) interest paid on indebtedness (up to $49,500) incurred after November 12, 2008, and before January 1, 2010, for the purchase of a motor vehicle (i.e., passenger automobile or light truck) with a gross vehicle weight rating of not more than 8,500 pounds; and (2) state and local sales and excise taxes imposed on the purchase of such a motor vehicle.

Latest Action: 09/25/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to simplify the deduction for use of a portion of a residence as a home office by providing an optional standard home office deduction. 9/25/2008--Introduced. Home Office Tax Deduction Simplification and Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer who uses a residence to conduct a trade or business to elect a standard tax deduction equal to the product of a standard rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury and the square footage of the portion of a residence used to conduct a trade or business (home office tax deduction). Modifies the rules for the home office tax deduction to: (1) allow a deduction for the cost of dealing with patients, clients, or customers even if they are not physically present in the home office; and (2) establish a de minimis exemption for personal use of a home office.Requires the Secretary to ensure that all self-employment tax forms and schedules separately [...]

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Latest Action: 09/18/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S9030-9031)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the limitations on the deduction of interest by financial institutions which hold tax-exempt bonds, and for other purposes.

9/18/2008--Introduced.

Municipal Bond Market Support Act of 2008 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the small issuer exemption from interest expense allocation rules for financial institutions to: (1) increase from $10 to $30 million the annual limit on small issuers of tax-exempt municipal bonds; (2) allow an inflation adjustment to such increased limit amount after 2009; (3) repeal aggregation rules relating to the determination of small issuer eligibility; (4) allow small issuers an election to treat borrowers separately for purposes of issuance limitations; and (5) allow financial institutions and brokers to hold up to 2% of their assets in tax-exempt securities without affecting their interest expense tax deduction.

Latest Action: 09/23/2008 - Mr. Pallone moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

Bill Text
To amend section 712 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, section 2705 of the Public Health Service Act, and section 9812 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to require equity in the provision of mental health and substance-related disorder benefits under group health plans, and for other purposes. 9/23/2008--Passed House amended.    (There is 1 other summary) Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA), the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code to require a group health plan that provides both medical and surgical benefits and mental health or substance use disorder benefits to ensure that: (1) the financial requirements, such as deductibles and copayments, applicable to such mental health or substance use disorder benefits are no more restrictive than the predominant financial requirements applied [...]

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Latest Action: 07/31/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S7908-7909)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to simplify the deduction for use of a portion of a residence as a home office by providing an optional standard home office deduction. 7/31/2008--Introduced. Home Office Tax Deduction Simplification and Improvement Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a taxpayer who uses a residence to conduct a trade or business to elect a standard tax deduction equal to the product of a standard rate determined by the Secretary of the Treasury and the square footage of the portion of a residence used to conduct a trade or business (home office tax deduction). Modifies the rules for the home office tax deduction to: (1) allow a deduction for the cost of dealing with patients, clients, or customers even if they are not physically present in the home office; and (2) establish a de minimis exemption for personal use of a home office.Requires the Secretary to ensure that all self-employment tax forms and schedules separately [...]

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Latest Action: 07/30/2008 - Cloture on the motion to proceed to the measure not invoked in Senate by Yea-Nay Vote. 51 - 43. Record Vote Number: 192. (consideration: CR S7722; text: CR S7722)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 7/24/2008--Introduced. Jobs, Energy, Families, and Disaster Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various provisions relating to energy production and conservation and to individual and business-related activities.Extends the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities through 2009 and the tax credit for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities through 2011. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends the energy tax credit for solar energy and the residential energy efficient property tax credit through 2016. Extends the energy tax credits for fuel cell and microturbine property through 2017. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property.[...]

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Latest Action: 07/08/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide tax incentives for replacing an automobile with a more fuel-efficient automobile.

7/8/2008--Introduced.

Energy Efficient and Environmentally Friendly Automobile Tax Credit Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow individual and business taxpayers: (1) a tax credit for up to $2,000 of the cost of replacing a passenger automobile with another passenger automobile that is at least 20% more fuel efficient; and (2) tax deductions for state and local taxes and loan interest for the replacement automobile.

Latest Action: 06/19/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5835-5836)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide relief to improve the competitiveness of United States corporations and small businesses, to eliminate tax incentives to move jobs and profits overseas, and for other purposes. 6/19/2008--Introduced. Manufacturing, Assembling, Development, and Export in the USA Tax Act or the MADE in the USA Tax Act - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to: (1) phase in a reduction in the maximum corporate income tax rate from 35 to 28% between 2009 and 2013; (2) increase the deduction for income attributable to domestic production activities and limit such deduction to business entities other than C corporations; (3) make permanent the increased expensing allowance for depreciable business property; (4) repeal certain limitations on the exclusion for the housing expenses of U.S. citizens working abroad; (5) include all foreign-source royalties in passive category income in applying the foreign tax credit limitation; (6) apply the foreign [...]

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Latest Action: 06/20/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to modify the limitations on the deduction of interest by financial institutions which hold tax-exempt bonds.

6/20/2008--Introduced.

Municipal Bond Market Support Act of 2008 - Amends Internal Revenue Code provisions relating to the small issuer exemption from interest expense allocation rules for financial institutions to: (1) increase from $10 to $30 million the annual limit on small issuers of tax-exempt municipal bonds; (2) allow an inflation adjustment to such increased limit amount after 2009; (3) repeal aggregation rules relating to the determination of small issuer eligibility; (4) allow small issuers an election to treat borrowers separately for purposes of issuance limitations; and (5) allow financial institutions to hold up to 2% of their assets in tax-exempt securities without affecting their interest expense tax deduction.

Latest Action: 06/25/2008 - Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.

Bill Text
To advance credit union efforts to promote economic growth, modify credit union regulatory standards and reduce burdens, to provide regulatory relief and improve productivity for insured depository institutions, and for other purposes. 6/24/2008--Passed House without amendment.    (There is 1 other summary) (This measure has not been amended since it was introduced. The summary has been expanded because action occurred on the measure.) Credit Union, Bank, and Thrift Regulatory Relief Act of 2008 - Title I: Credit Unions - (Sec. 101) Amends the Federal Credit Union Act to: (1) permit a credit union to invest in securities for its own account, subject to certain percentage limitations; and (2) increase the investment and lending limit in credit union service organizations from 1% to 3% of a credit union's total paid and unimpaired capital and surplus. (Sec. 103) Excludes credit union loans to nonprofit religious organizations [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5595-5597)

Bill Text
A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to extend certain expiring provisions, and for other purposes. 6/12/2008--Introduced. Energy Independence and Tax Relief Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend various provisions relating to energy production and conservation and to individual and business-related activities.Extends through 2009 the tax credit for producing electricity from wind facilities and through 2011 for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal, small irrigation, hydropower, landfill gas, and trash combustion facilities. Includes marine and hydrokinetic renewable energy as a renewable resource for purposes of such tax credit. Extends through 2014: (1) the energy tax credits for solar energy, fuel cell, and microturbine property; and (2) the residential energy efficient property tax credit. Allows a new investment tax credit for combined heat and power system property.Provides funding for new clean renewable energy [...]

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Latest Action: 06/12/2008 - Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to restore the obligation of the Secretary of the Treasury to invest the balance of the Highway Trust Fund in interest-bearing obligations of the United States.

6/12/2008--Introduced.

Responsible Highway Investment Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to terminate the requirement that obligations held by the Highway Trust Fund be U.S. obligations that are not interest-bearing.

Latest Action: 05/21/2008 - Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Education and Labor, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions

Bill Text
To provide for the reform of health care, the Social Security system, the tax code for individuals and business, and the budget process. 5/21/2008--Introduced. Roadmap for America's Future Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to allow a refundable tax credit for health insurance coverage. Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply the laws of a health insurance issuer's primary state to individual health insurance coverage offered by the issuer in a secondary state. Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to set forth rules governing association health plans. Establishes the Health Care Services Commission to enhance health care services and access to them, and the Office of the Forum for Quality and Effectiveness in Health Care. Terminates the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality. Independent Health Record Trust Act of 2008 - Directs the Federal Trade Commission to prescribe standards for independent [...]

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Latest Action: 09/29/2008 - Message on Senate action sent to the House.

Bill Text
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide incentives for energy production and conservation, to extend certain expiring provisions, to provide individual income tax relief, and for other purposes. 9/23/2008--Passed Senate amended.    (There are 3 other summaries) Energy Improvement and Extension Act of 2008 - Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend and modify expiring provisions related to energy production and conservation and to provide for revenue enhancements.Title I: Energy Production Incentives - Subtitle A: Renewable Energy Incentives - (Sec. 101) Extends the tax credit for the production of electricity from renewable resources: (1) through 2009 for wind and refined coal facilities; and (2) through 2010 for closed and open-loop biomass, geothermal or solar energy, small irrigation power, landfill gas, trash combustion, and hydropower facilities. Modifies tax credit rules for refined coal, trash, and biomass [...]

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