I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 902
To repeal the Federal estate and gift taxes and the tax on generation-
skipping transfers.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
MARCH 3, 1997
Mr. COX of California (for himself, Mr. RAHALL, Mr. ANDREWS, Mr. HALL
of Texas, Mr. DELAY, Mr. LIVINGSTON, Mr. BLILEY, Mr. SOLOMON, Ms.
MOLINARI, Mr. PITTS, Mr. LARGENT, Mr. MCCOLLUM, Mr. TALENT, Mr.
BURTON of Indiana, Mr. BACHUS, Mr. BAKER, Mr. BARR of Georgia, Mr.
BARTLETT of Maryland, Mr. BILBRAY, Mr. BONILLA, Mr. BONO, Mr.
BRYANT, Mr. BUNNING, Mr. CALLAHAN, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. CANNON,
Mr. CANADY
of Florida, Mr. CHABOT, Mr. CHAMBLISS, Mrs.
CHENOWETH, Mr. CHRISTENSEN, Mr. COBURN, Mr. COLLINS, Mr. COOK,
Mr. COOKSEY, Mr. CRANE, Mr. CRAPO, Mrs. CUBIN, Mr. DEAL of Geor-
gia, Mr. DOOLITTLE, Mr. DREIER, Mr. DUNCAN, Mr. EHRLICH, Mrs.
EMERSON, Mr. FOLEY, Mr. FORBES, Mr. FOX of Pennsylvania, Mr.
GALLEGLY, Mr. GIBBONS, Mr. GOODLING, Mr. GRAHAM, Ms. GRANGER,
Mr. HASTINGS of Washington, Mr. HAYWORTH, Mr. HEFLEY, Mr.
HERGER, Mr. HILL, Mr. HORN, Mr. HOSTETTLER, Mr. HULSHOF, Mr.
HUNTER, Mr. HUTCHINSON, Mr. INGLIS of South Carolina, Mr. SAM
JOHNSON of Texas, Mr. JONES, Mrs. KELLY, Mr. KIM, Mr. KING, Mr.
KINGSTON, Mr. KNOLLENBERG, Mr. KOLBE, Mr. LATOURETTE, Mr.
LEWIS of Kentucky, Mr. LINDER, Mr. LUCAS of Oklahoma, Mr.
MCCRERY, Mr. MCINTOSH, Mr. MCHUGH, Mr. MCKEON, Mr.
MANZULLO, Mr. METCALF, Mr. MORAN of Kansas, Mrs. MYRICK, Mr.
NORWOOD, Mr. PACKARD, Mr. PAPPAS, Mr. PARKER, Mr. PAUL, Mr.
PEASE, Mr. POMBO, Mr. RIGGS, Mr. RILEY, Mr. ROGAN, Mr.
ROHRABACHER, 
Mr. 
ROYCE, 
Mr. 
RYUN, 
Mr. 
SAXTON, 
Mr.
SCARBOROUGH, Mr. BOB SCHAFFER of Colorado, Mr. SENSENBRENNER,
Mr. SESSIONS, Mr. SHADEGG, Mr. SKEEN, Mr. SMITH of Texas, Mrs.
SMITH of Washington, Mr. SMITH of Michigan, Mr. SMITH of Oregon,
Mr. SNOWBARGER, Mr. STEARNS, Mr. STUMP, Mr. TAYLOR of North
Carolina, Mr. WALSH, Mr. WATTS of Oklahoma, Mr. WELDON of Penn-
sylvania, Mr. WELDON of Florida, and Mr. YOUNG of Alaska) introduced
the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and
Means
HR 902 IH
A BILL
To repeal the Federal estate and gift taxes and the tax
on generation-skipping transfers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Family Heritage Pres-
ervation Act’’.
SEC. 2. FINDINGS.
Congress finds that:
(1) Hard working American men and women
spend a lifetime saving to provide for their children
and grandchildren, paying taxes all the while.
Throughout their lives, they pay taxes on the income
and gains from their labor and their investment. Be-
cause of the heavy burden of income taxes, property
taxes, and other levies, it is enormously difficult to
accumulate savings for a family’s future. Worst of
all, when the purpose of that hard earned saving is
about to be achieved, families discover that between
37 percent and 55 percent of their after-tax savings
is confiscated by Federal estate taxes.
HR 902 IH
(2) These transfer, estate, and gift taxes punish
lifelong habits of thrift; they discourage entrepre-
neurship; they penalize families; and they have a
negative effect on other tax revenue sources.
(3) These taxes raise almost no material reve-
nue for the Federal Government. In fiscal year
1996, they produced less than 1 percent of total
Federal revenues.
(4) The waste and economic inefficiency caused
by estate taxes is well known. American families em-
ploy legions of tax accountants and lawyers each
year to set up trusts and other prolix devices de-
signed to avoid these onerous levies. The make-work
imposed upon the economy comprises billions of dol-
lars.
(5) In order to pay these excessive taxes, many
small businesses must liquidate all or part of their
assets. By causing business closures, these taxes
constrict business activity, increase unemployment,
and reduce tax revenues to the Federal Government.
(6) Independent analyses indicate that, were
these onerous taxes repealed, the Nation’s gross do-
mestic product, Federal and State tax revenues, em-
ployment base, and capital formation would increase
HR 902 IH
substantially. According to one such survey, repeal-
ing these taxes will increase the Nation’s economic
output by $77,000,000,000, create more than
1,000,000 new jobs, and increase personal income by
$56,000,000,000 over the next 7 years.
(7) Repealing these taxes will ensure economic
fairness for all American families and businesses, as
well as economic growth and prosperity for the Na-
tion as a whole.
SEC. 3. REPEAL OF FEDERAL TRANSFER TAXES.
(a) GENERAL RULE.—Subtitle B of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 (relating to estate, gift, and genera-
tion-skipping taxes) is hereby repealed.
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The repeal made by sub-
section (a) shall apply to the estates of decedents dying,
and gifts and generation-skipping transfers made, after
the date of the enactment of this Act.
Æ