H.R. 648 (conference report) - Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019

MAKING FURTHER CONTINUING APPROPRIATIONS FOR THE DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY FOR FISCAL YEAR 2019, AND FOR OTHER PURPOSES

[COMMITTEE PRINT]

116TH CONGRESS
1st Session

HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

REPORT 116-___

________, 2019. — 0rdered to be printed

________, from the committee of conference, submitted the following

CONFERENCE REPORT

[To accompany H.J. Res. 31]

The committee of conference on the disagreeing votes of the two Houses on the amendment of the Senate to the joint resolution (H.J. Res. 31), making further continuing appropriations for the Department of Homeland Security for fiscal year 2019, and for other purposes, having met, after full and free conference, have agreed to recommend and do recommend to their respective Houses as follows:

That the House recede from its disagreement to the amendment of the Senate and agree to the same with an amendment as follows:

In lieu of the matter proposed to be inserted by the Senate amendment, insert the following:

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the "Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2019".

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INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

TAXPAYER SERVICES

For necessary expenses of the Internal Revenue Service to provide taxpayer services, including pre-filing assistance and education, filing and account services, taxpayer advocacy services, and other services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, at such rates as may be determined by the Commissioner, $2,491,554,000, of which not less than $9,890,000 shall be for the Tax Counseling for the Elderly Program, of which not less than $12,000,000 shall be available for low-income taxpayer clinic grants, of which not less than $18,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2020, shall be available for a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance matching grants program for tax return preparation assistance, and of which not less than $207,000,000 shall be available for operating expenses of the Taxpayer Advocate Service: Provided, That of the amounts made available for the Taxpayer Advocate Service, not less than $5,500,000 shall be for identity theft and refund fraud casework.

ENFORCEMENT

For necessary expenses for tax enforcement activities of the Internal Revenue Service to determine and collect owed taxes, to provide legal and litigation support, to conduct criminal investigations, to enforce criminal statutes related to violations of internal revenue laws and other financial crimes, to purchase and hire passenger motor vehicles (31 U.S.C. 1343(b)), and to provide other services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, at such rates as may be determined by the Commissioner, $4,860,000,000, of which not to exceed $50,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2020, and of which not less than $60,257,000 shall be for the Interagency Crime and Drug Enforcement program.

OPERATIONS SUPPORT

For necessary expenses of the Internal Revenue Service to support taxpayer services and enforcement programs, including rent payments; facilities services; printing; postage; physical security; headquarters and other IRS-wide administration activities; research and statistics of income; telecommunications; information technology development, enhancement, operations, maintenance, and security; the hire of passenger motor vehicles (31 U.S.C. 1343(b)); the operations of the Internal Revenue Service Oversight Board; and other services as authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109, at such rates as may be determined by the Commissioner; $3,724,000,000, of which not to exceed $50,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2020; of which not to exceed $10,000,000 shall remain available until expended for acquisition of equipment and construction, repair and renovation of facilities; of which not to exceed $1,000,000 shall remain available until September 30, 2021, for research; of which not to exceed $20,000 shall be for official reception and representation expenses: Provided, That not later than 30 days after the end of each quarter, the Internal Revenue Service shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the Comptroller General of the United States detailing the cost and schedule performance for its major information technology investments, including the purpose and life-cycle stages of the investments; the reasons for any cost and schedule variances; the risks of such investments and strategies the Internal Revenue Service is using to mitigate such risks; and the expected developmental milestones to be achieved and costs to be incurred in the next quarter: Provided further, That the Internal Revenue Service shall include, in its budget justification for fiscal year 2020, a summary of cost and schedule performance information for its major information technology systems.

BUSINESS SYSTEMS MODERNIZATION

For necessary expenses of the Internal Revenue Service's business systems modernization program, $150,000,000, to remain available until September 30, 2021, for the capital asset acquisition of information technology systems, including management and related contractual costs of said acquisitions, including related Internal Revenue Service labor costs, and contractual costs associated with operations authorized by 5 U.S.C. 3109: Provided, That not later than 30 days after the end of each quarter, the Internal Revenue Service shall submit a report to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate and the Comptroller General of the United States detailing the cost and schedule performance for major information technology investments, including the purposes and life-cycle stages of the investments; the reasons for any cost and schedule variances; the risks of such investments and the strategies the Internal Revenue Service is using to mitigate such risks; and the expected developmental milestones to be achieved and costs to be incurred in the next quarter.

ADMINISTRATIVE PROVISIONS — INTERNAL REVENUE SERVICE

(INCLUDING TRANSFERS OF FUNDS)

SEC. 101. Not to exceed 4 percent of the appropriation made available in this Act to the Internal Revenue Service under the "Enforcement" heading, and not to exceed 5 percent of any other appropriation made available in this Act to the Internal Revenue Service, may be transferred to any other Internal Revenue Service appropriation upon the advance approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate.

SEC. 102. The Internal Revenue Service shall maintain an employee training program, which shall include the following topics: taxpayers' rights, dealing courteously with taxpayers, cross-cultural relations, ethics, and the impartial application of tax law.

SEC. 103. The Internal Revenue Service shall institute and enforce policies and procedures that will safeguard the confidentiality of taxpayer information and protect taxpayers against identity theft.

SEC. 104. Funds made available by this or any other Act to the Internal Revenue Service shall be available for improved facilities and increased staffing to provide sufficient and effective 1-800 help line service for taxpayers. The Commissioner shall continue to make improvements to the Internal Revenue Service 1-800 help line service a priority and allocate resources necessary to enhance the response time to taxpayer communications, particularly with regard to victims of tax-related crimes.

SEC. 105. The Internal Revenue Service shall issue a notice of confirmation of any address change relating to an employer making employment tax payments, and such notice shall be sent to both the employer's former and new address and an officer or employee of the Internal Revenue Service shall give special consideration to an offer-in-compromise from a taxpayer who has been the victim of fraud by a third party payroll tax preparer.

SEC. 106. None of the funds made available under this Act may be used by the Internal Revenue Service to target citizens of the United States for exercising any right guaranteed under the First Amendment to the Constitution of the United States.

SEC. 107. None of the funds made available in this Act may be used by the Internal Revenue Service to target groups for regulatory scrutiny based on their ideological beliefs.

SEC. 108. None of funds made available by this Act to the Internal Revenue Service shall be obligated or expended on conferences that do not adhere to the procedures, verification processes, documentation requirements, and policies issued by the Chief Financial Officer, Human Capital Office, and Agency-Wide Shared Services as a result of the recommendations in the report published on May 31, 2013, by the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration entitled "Review of the August 2010 Small Business/Self-Employed Division's Conference in Anaheim, California" (Reference Number 2013-10-037).

SEC. 109. None of the funds made available in this Act to the Internal Revenue Service may be obligated or expended —

(1) to make a payment to any employee under a bonus, award, or recognition program; or

(2) under any hiring or personnel selection process with respect to re-hiring a former employee, unless such program or process takes into account the conduct and Federal tax compliance of such employee or former employee.

SEC. 110. None of the funds made available by this Act may be used in contravention of section 6103 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to confidentiality and disclosure of returns and return information).

SEC. 111. Except to the extent provided in section 6014, 6020, or 6201(d) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986, no funds in this or any other Act shall be available to the Secretary of the Treasury to provide to any person a proposed final return or statement for use by such person to satisfy a filing or reporting requirement under such Code.

SEC. 112. In addition to the amounts otherwise made available in this Act for the Internal Revenue Service, $77,000,000, to be available until September 30, 2020, shall be transferred by the Commissioner to the "Taxpayer Services", "Enforcement", or "Operations Support" accounts of the Internal Revenue Service for an additional amount to be used solely for carrying out Public Law 115-97: Provided, That such funds shall not be available until the Commissioner submits to the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate a spending plan for such funds.

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SEC. 115. Not to exceed 2 percent of any appropriation made available in this Act to the Internal Revenue Service may be transferred to the Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration's appropriation upon the advance approval of the Committees on Appropriations of the House of Representatives and the Senate: Provided, That no transfer may increase or decrease any such appropriation by more than 2 percent.

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SEC. 124. During fiscal year 2019 —

(1) none of the funds made available in this or any other Act may be used by the Department of the Treasury, including the Internal Revenue Service, to issue, revise, or finalize any regulation, revenue ruling, or other guidance not limited to a particular taxpayer relating to the standard which is used to determine whether an organization is operated exclusively for the promotion of social welfare for purposes of section 501(c)(4) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (including the proposed regulations published at 78 Fed. Reg. 71535 (November 29, 2013)); and

(2) the standard and definitions as in effect on January 1, 2010, which are used to make such determinations shall apply after the date of the enactment of this Act for purposes of determining status under section 501(c)(4) of such Code of organizations created on, before, or after such date.

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