I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION 
H. R. 51
To repeal the Federal death tax, including the estate and gift taxes and 
the tax on generation-skipping transfers. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JANUARY 7, 2003
Mr. COX introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To repeal the Federal death tax, including the 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 
are confiscated by Federal death taxes. 
(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 rev-
enue for the Federal Government. In fiscal year 
2002, they produced about 1 percent of total Fed-
eral revenues. 
(4) The waste and economic inefficiency caused 
by death 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) 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 re-
duce 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these onerous taxes repealed, the Nation’s gross do-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 
substantially. According to a recent study by the 
Joint Economic Committee, these taxes have re-
duced the stock of capital in the United States by 
$497,000,000,000, reduced annual Federal income 
tax receipts by $20,000,000,000, caused family busi-
nesses to divert resources from investment, and en-
couraged the development of environmentally sen-
sitive land. 
(7) Repealing these taxes will ensure economic 
fairness for all American families and businesses 
and economic growth and prosperity for the Nation 
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 
December 31, 2002.
Æ