I
105TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 1266
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to index the basis of certain
assets for purposes of determining gain, to provide for the establishment
of American Dream Savings Accounts, and to repeal the increase enacted
in 1993 in taxes on Social Security benefits.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
APRIL 9, 1997
Mr. STEARNS 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 index
the basis of certain assets for purposes of determining
gain, to provide for the establishment of American
Dream Savings Accounts, and to repeal the increase
enacted in 1993 in taxes on Social Security benefits.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
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SECTION 1. THIS ACT MAY BE CITED AS THE ‘‘BUDGET NEU-
TRAL AMERICAN TAX RELIEF ACT’’.
SEC. 2. INDEXING OF CERTAIN ASSETS ACQUIRED AFTER
DECEMBER 31, 1996, FOR PURPOSES OF DE-
TERMINING GAIN.
(a) IN GENERAL.—Part II of subchapter O of chap-
ter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to
basis rules of general application) is amended by inserting
after section 1021 the following new section:
‘‘SEC. 1022. INDEXING OF CERTAIN ASSETS ACQUIRED
AFTER DECEMBER 31, 1996, FOR PURPOSES
OF DETERMINING GAIN.
‘‘(a) GENERAL RULE.—
‘‘(1) INDEXED
BASIS
SUBSTITUTED
FOR
AD-
JUSTED BASIS.—Solely for purposes of determining
gain on the sale or other disposition by a taxpayer
(other than a corporation) of an indexed asset which
has been held for more than 3 years, the indexed
basis of the asset shall be substituted for its ad-
justed basis.
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION
FOR
DEPRECIATION, ETC.—
The deductions for depreciation, depletion, and am-
ortization shall be determined without regard to the
application of paragraph (1) to the taxpayer or any
other person.
‘‘(b) INDEXED ASSET.—
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‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—For purposes of this sec-
tion, the term ‘indexed asset’ means—
‘‘(A) common stock in a C corporation
(other than a foreign corporation), and
‘‘(B) tangible property,
which is a capital asset or property used in the trade
or business (as defined in section 1231(b)).
‘‘(2) STOCK
IN
CERTAIN
FOREIGN
CORPORA-
TIONS INCLUDED.—For purposes of this section—
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘indexed
asset’ includes common stock in a foreign cor-
poration which is regularly traded on an estab-
lished securities market.
‘‘(B) 
EXCEPTION.—Subparagraph 
(A)
shall not apply to—
‘‘(i) stock of a foreign investment
company (within the meaning of section
1246(b)),
‘‘(ii) stock in a passive foreign invest-
ment company (as defined in section
1296),
‘‘(iii) stock in a foreign corporation
held by a United States person who meets
the requirements of section 1248(a)(2),
and
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‘‘(iv) stock in a foreign personal hold-
ing company (as defined in section 552).
‘‘(C) TREATMENT OF AMERICAN DEPOSI-
TORY RECEIPTS.—An American depository re-
ceipt for common stock in a foreign corporation
shall be treated as common stock in such cor-
poration.
‘‘(c) INDEXED BASIS.—For purposes of this sec-
tion—
‘‘(1) GENERAL RULE.—The indexed basis for
any asset is—
‘‘(A) the adjusted basis of the asset, in-
creased by
‘‘(B) the applicable inflation adjustment.
‘‘(2) APPLICABLE INFLATION ADJUSTMENT.—
The applicable inflation adjustment for any asset is
an amount equal to—
‘‘(A) the adjusted basis of the asset, multi-
plied by
‘‘(B) the percentage (if any) by which—
‘‘(i) 
the 
gross 
domestic 
product
deflator for the last calendar quarter end-
ing before the asset is disposed of, exceeds
‘‘(ii) the gross domestic product
deflator for the last calendar quarter end-
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ing before the asset was acquired by the
taxpayer.
The percentage under subparagraph (B) shall be
rounded to the nearest one-tenth of 1 percentage
point.
‘‘(3) GROSS DOMESTIC PRODUCT DEFLATOR.—
The gross domestic product deflator for any cal-
endar quarter is the implicit price deflator for the
gross domestic product for such quarter (as shown
in the last revision thereof released by the Secretary
of Commerce before the close of the following cal-
endar quarter).
‘‘(d) SUSPENSION OF HOLDING PERIOD WHERE DI-
MINISHED
RISK
OF
LOSS; TREATMENT
OF
SHORT
SALES.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—If the taxpayer (or a relat-
ed person) enters into any transaction which sub-
stantially reduces the risk of loss from holding any
asset, such asset shall not be treated as an indexed
asset for the period of such reduced risk.
‘‘(2) SHORT SALES.—
‘‘(A) IN GENERAL.—In the case of a short
sale of an indexed asset with a short sale period
in excess of 3 years, for purposes of this title,
the amount realized shall be an amount equal