I 
116TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1875 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to facilitate nationwide avail-
ability of volunteer income tax assistance for low-income and underserved 
populations. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 26, 2019 
Mr. DANNY K. DAVIS of Illinois (for himself and Mr. WENSTRUP) 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 facilitate 
nationwide availability of volunteer income tax assistance 
for low-income and underserved populations. 
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 ‘‘Volunteer Income Tax 
Assistance Permanence Act of 2019’’ or as the ‘‘VITA 
Permanence Act of 2019’’. 
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SEC. 2. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR APPLICA-
BLE TAXPAYERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 77 of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986 is amended by inserting after section 
7526 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 7526A. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR AP-
PLICABLE TAXPAYERS. 
‘‘(a) ESTABLISHMENT OF VOLUNTEER INCOME TAX 
ASSISTANCE MATCHING GRANT PROGRAM.—The Sec-
retary shall establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax 
Assistance Matching Grant Program under which the Sec-
retary may, subject to the availability of appropriated 
funds, make grants to provide matching funds for the de-
velopment, expansion, or continuation of qualified return 
preparation programs assisting applicable taxpayers and 
members of underserved populations. 
‘‘(b) USE OF FUNDS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Qualified return prepara-
tion programs may use grants received under this 
section for— 
‘‘(A) ordinary and necessary costs associ-
ated with program operation in accordance with 
cost principles under the applicable Office of 
Management and Budget circular, including— 
‘‘(i) wages or salaries of persons co-
ordinating the activities of the program, 
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‘‘(ii) developing training materials, 
conducting training, and performing qual-
ity reviews of the returns prepared under 
the program, 
‘‘(iii) equipment purchases, and 
‘‘(iv) vehicle-related expenses associ-
ated with remote or rural tax preparation 
services, 
‘‘(B) outreach and educational activities 
described in subsection (c)(2)(B), and 
‘‘(C) services related to financial education 
and capability, asset development, and the es-
tablishment of savings accounts in connection 
with tax return preparation. 
‘‘(2) REQUIREMENT OF MATCHING FUNDS.—A 
qualified return preparation program must provide 
matching funds on a dollar-for-dollar basis for all 
grants provided under this section. Matching funds 
may include— 
‘‘(A) the salary (including fringe benefits) 
of individuals performing services for the pro-
gram, 
‘‘(B) the cost of equipment used in the 
program, and 
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‘‘(C) other ordinary and necessary costs 
associated with the program. 
Indirect expenses, including general overhead of any 
entity administering the program, shall not be 
counted as matching funds. 
‘‘(c) APPLICATION.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Each applicant for a grant 
under this section shall submit an application to the 
Secretary at such time, in such manner, and con-
taining such information as the Secretary may rea-
sonably require. 
‘‘(2) PRIORITY.—In awarding grants under this 
section, the Secretary shall give priority to applica-
tions which demonstrate— 
‘‘(A) assistance to applicable taxpayers, 
with emphasis on outreach to, and services for, 
such taxpayers, 
‘‘(B) taxpayer outreach and educational 
activities relating to eligibility and availability 
of income supports available through this title, 
including the earned income tax credit, and 
‘‘(C) specific outreach and focus on one or 
more underserved populations. 
‘‘(3) AMOUNTS TAKEN INTO ACCOUNT.—In de-
termining matching grants under this section, the 
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Secretary shall only take into account amounts pro-
vided by the qualified return preparation program 
for expenses described in subsection (b). 
‘‘(d) PROGRAM ADHERENCE.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall estab-
lish procedures for, and shall conduct not less fre-
quently than once every 5 calendar years during 
which a qualified return preparation program is op-
erating under a grant under this section, periodic 
site visits— 
‘‘(A) to ensure the program is carrying out 
the purposes of this section, and 
‘‘(B) to determine whether the program 
meets such program adherence standards as the 
Secretary shall by regulation or other guidance 
prescribe. 
‘‘(2) ADDITIONAL REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANT 
RECIPIENTS
NOT
MEETING
PROGRAM
ADHERENCE 
STANDARDS.—In the case of any qualified return 
preparation program which— 
‘‘(A) is awarded a grant under this section, 
and 
‘‘(B) is subsequently determined— 
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‘‘(i) not to meet the program adher-
ence standards described in paragraph 
(1)(B), or 
‘‘(ii) not to be otherwise carrying out 
the purposes of this section, 
such program shall not be eligible for any additional 
grants under this section unless such program pro-
vides sufficient documentation of corrective meas-
ures established to address any such deficiencies de-
termined. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this section— 
‘‘(1) QUALIFIED
RETURN
PREPARATION
PRO-
GRAM.—The term ‘qualified return preparation pro-
gram’ means any program— 
‘‘(A) which provides assistance to individ-
uals, not less than 90 percent of whom are ap-
plicable taxpayers, in preparing and filing Fed-
eral income tax returns, 
‘‘(B) which is administered by a qualified 
entity, 
‘‘(C) in which all volunteers who assist in 
the preparation of Federal income tax returns 
meet the training requirements prescribed by 
the Secretary, and 
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‘‘(D) which uses a quality review process 
which reviews 100 percent of all returns. 
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED ENTITY.— 
‘‘(A) IN
GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified 
entity’ means any entity which— 
‘‘(i) is an eligible organization, 
‘‘(ii) is in compliance with Federal tax 
filing and payment requirements, 
‘‘(iii) is not debarred or suspended 
from Federal contracts, grants, or coopera-
tive agreements, and 
‘‘(iv) agrees to provide documentation 
to substantiate any matching funds pro-
vided pursuant to the grant program under 
this section. 
‘‘(B) ELIGIBLE ORGANIZATION.—The term 
‘eligible organization’ means— 
‘‘(i) an institution of higher education 
which is described in section 102 (other 
than subsection (a)(1)(C) thereof) of the 
Higher Education Act of 1965 (20 U.S.C. 
1002), as in effect on the date of the en-
actment of this section, and which has not 
been disqualified from participating in a 
program under title IV of such Act, 
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‘‘(ii) an organization described in sec-
tion 501(c) and exempt from tax under 
section 501(a), 
‘‘(iii) a local government agency, in-
cluding— 
‘‘(I) a county or municipal gov-
ernment agency, and 
‘‘(II) an Indian tribe, as defined 
in section 4(13) of the Native Amer-
ican Housing Assistance and Self-De-
termination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
4103(13)), including any tribally des-
ignated housing entity (as defined in 
section 4(22) of such Act (25 U.S.C. 
4103(22))), tribal subsidiary, subdivi-
sion, or other wholly owned tribal en-
tity, 
‘‘(iv) a local, State, regional, or na-
tional coalition (with one lead organization 
which meets the eligibility requirements of 
clause (i), (ii), or (iii) acting as the appli-
cant organization), or 
‘‘(v) in the case of applicable tax-
payers and members of underserved popu-
lations with respect to which no organiza-
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tions described in the preceding clauses are 
available— 
‘‘(I) a State government agency, 
or 
‘‘(II) an office providing Cooper-
ative Extension services (as estab-
lished at the land-grant colleges and 
universities under the Smith-Lever 
Act of May 8, 1914). 
‘‘(3) APPLICABLE TAXPAYERS.—The term ‘ap-
plicable taxpayer’ means a taxpayer whose income 
for the taxable year does not exceed an amount 
equal to the completed phaseout amount under sec-
tion 32(b) for a married couple filing a joint return 
with three or more qualifying children, as deter-
mined in a revenue procedure or other published 
guidance. 
‘‘(4) UNDERSERVED
POPULATION.—The term 
‘underserved population’ includes populations of per-
sons with disabilities, persons with limited English 
proficiency, Native Americans, individuals living in 
rural areas, members of the Armed Forces and their 
spouses, and the elderly. 
‘‘(f) SPECIAL RULES AND LIMITATIONS.— 
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‘‘(1) DURATION OF GRANTS.—Upon application 
of a qualified return preparation program, the Sec-
retary is authorized to award a multi-year grant not 
to exceed 3 years. 
‘‘(2) AGGREGATE
LIMITATION.—Unless other-
wise provided by specific appropriation, the Sec-
retary shall not allocate more than $30,000,000 per 
fiscal year (exclusive of costs of administering the 
program) to grants under this section. 
‘‘(g) PROMOTION OF PROGRAMS.— 
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary shall pro-
mote tax preparation through qualified return prepa-
ration programs through the use of mass commu-
nications and other means. 
‘‘(2) PROVISION OF INFORMATION REGARDING 
QUALIFIED RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS.—The 
Secretary may provide taxpayers information regard-
ing qualified return preparation programs receiving 
grants under this section. 
‘‘(3) REFERRALS TO QUALIFIED LOW-INCOME 
TAXPAYER
CLINICS.—Qualified return preparation 
programs receiving a grant under this section are 
encouraged, in appropriate cases, to— 
‘‘(A) advise taxpayers of the availability of, 
and eligibility requirements for receiving, advice 
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and assistance from qualified low-income tax-
payer clinics receiving funding under section 
7526, and 
‘‘(B) provide information regarding the lo-
cation of, and contact information for, such 
clinics.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
for chapter 77 is amended by inserting after the item re-
lating to section 7526 the following new item: 
‘‘Sec. 7526A. Return preparation programs for applicable taxpayers.’’. 
Æ 
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