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103D CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 171

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal the income tax

check-off which provides funding for Presidential election campaigns and

to provide a check-off to reduce the public debt.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

JANUARY 5, 1993

Mr. DUNCAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the

Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to repeal

the income tax check-off which provides funding for

Presidential election campaigns and to provide a checkoff to reduce the public debt.

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

3 SECTION 1. TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION

4 CAMPAIGN FUND CHECK-OFF.

5 Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986

6 (relating to designation of income tax payments to Presi7 dential Election Campaign Fund) is amended by adding

8 at the end thereof the following new subsection:
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1 ‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall not apply to

2 any taxable year beginning after December 31, 1991.

3 SEC. 2. DESIGNATION OF OVERPAYMENTS AND CONTRIBU4 TIONS FOR REDUCTION OF PUBLIC DEBT.

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter A of chapter 61 of the

6 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at

7 the end thereof the following new part:

8 ‘‘PART IX—DESIGNATION OF OVERPAYMENTS

9 AND CONTRIBUTIONS FOR REDUCTION OF

10 PUBLIC DEBT.

‘‘Sec. 6097. Designation.

11 ‘‘SEC. 6097. DESIGNATION.

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an individual, with

13 respect to each taxpayer’s return for the taxable year of

14 the tax imposed by chapter 1, such taxpayer may des15 ignate that—

16 ‘‘(1) a specified portion (not less than $1) of

17 any overpayment of tax for such taxable year, and

18 ‘‘(2) any cash contribution which the taxpayer

19 includes with such return,

20 shall be used to reduce the public debt.

21 ‘‘(b) MANNER AND TIME OF DESIGNATION.—A des22 ignation under subsection (a) may be made with respect

23 to any taxable year only at the time of filing the return

24 of the tax imposed by chapter 1 for such taxable year.
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1 Such designation shall be made in such manner as the

2 Secretary prescribes by regulations except that such des3 ignation shall be made either on the first page of the re4 turn or on the page bearing the taxpayer’s signature.

5 ‘‘(c) OVERPAYMENTS TREATED AS REFUNDED.—

6 For purposes of this title, any portion of an overpayment

7 of tax designated under subsection (a) shall be treated as

8 being refunded to the taxpayer as of the last date pre9 scribed for filing the return of tax imposed by chapter 1

10 (determined without regard to extensions) or, if later, the

11 date the return is filed.

12 ‘‘(d) FORMS TO INCLUDE ADDRESS FOR OTHER

13 PUBLIC DEBT REDUCTION CONTRIBUTIONS.—The Sec14 retary shall include on returns of tax imposed by chapter

15 1 the address to which taxpayers may send at any time

16 additional contributions to reduce the public debt.’’

17 (b) TRANSFERS TO ACCOUNT TO REDUCE PUBLIC

18 DEBT.—The Secretary of the Treasury shall, from time

19 to time, transfer to the special account established by sec20 tion 3113(d) of title 31, United States Code—

21 (1) the amounts of the overpayments of tax to

22 which designations under section 6097 of the Inter23 nal Revenue Code of 1986 apply, and

24 (2) the amounts of contributions made under

25 such section to the United States.
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1 (c) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of parts for

2 subchapter A of chapter 61 of such Code is amended by

3 adding at the end thereof the following new item:

‘‘Part IX. Designation of overpayments and contributions for reduction of public debt.’’

4 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

5 this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after

6 December 31, 1991.

7 SEC. 3. INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT ITEMIZE DEDUCTIONS

8 ALLOWED DEDUCTION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS

9 TO REDUCE PUBLIC DEBT.

10 (a) IN GENERAL.—Section 170 of the Internal Reve11 nue Code of 1986 (relating to charitable, etc., contribu12 tions and gifts) is amended by redesignating subsection

13 (m) as subsection (n) and by inserting after subsection

14 (l) the following new subsection:

15 ‘‘(m) INDIVIDUALS WHO DO NOT ITEMIZE DEDUC16 TIONS ALLOWED DEDUCTION FOR CONTRIBUTIONS TO

17 REDUCE PUBLIC DEBT.—In the case of an individual who

18 does not itemize his deductions for the taxable year, the

19 amount allowable under subsection (a) for such taxable

20 year for contributions made to the Secretary to reduce the

21 public debt shall be taken into account as a direct public

22 debt reduction contribution under section 63.’’

23 (b) TAXABLE INCOME REDUCED BY CONTRIBU24 TIONS.—Subsection (b) of section 63 of such Code (defin-
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1 ing taxable income) is amended by striking ‘‘and’’ at the

2 end of paragraph (1), by striking the period at the end

3 of paragraph (2) and inserting ‘‘, and’’, and by adding

4 at the end thereof the following new paragraph:

5 ‘‘(3) the direct public debt reduction contribu6 tion.’’

7 (c) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—

8 (1) Subsection (f) of section 63 of such Code

9 (defining itemized deductions) is amended by strik10 ing ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (1), by striking

11 the period at the end of paragraph (2) and inserting

12 ‘‘, and’’, and by adding at the end thereof the follow13 ing new paragraph:

14 ‘‘(3) the direct public debt reduction contribu15 tion.’’

16 (2) Section 63 of such Code is amended by add17 ing at the end thereof the following new subsection:

18 ‘‘(h) DIRECT PUBLIC DEBT REDUCTION CONTRIBU19 TION.—For purposes of this section, the term ‘direct pub20 lic debt reduction contribution’ means that portion of the

21 amount allowable under section 170(a) which is taken as

22 a direct public debt reduction contribution for the taxable

23 year under section 170(m).’’
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1 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by

2 this section shall apply to taxable years beginning after

3 December 31, 1992.

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