Title: VITA Permanence Act of 2019
Policy area: Taxation

Summary:
Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Permanence Act of 2019 or the VITA Permanence Act of 2019
This bill directs the Department of the Treasury to establish a Community Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program to provide matching funds for the development, expansion, or continuation of tax return preparation programs for low-income and underserved populations.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1875 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1875

  To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to facilitate nationwide 
  availability 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 Representatives 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''.

SEC. 2. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR APPLICABLE TAXPAYERS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 77 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is 
amended by inserting after section 7526 the following new section:

``SEC. 7526A. RETURN PREPARATION PROGRAMS FOR APPLICABLE TAXPAYERS.

    ``(a) Establishment of Volunteer Income Tax Assistance Matching 
Grant Program.--The Secretary shall establish a Community Volunteer 
Income Tax Assistance Matching Grant Program under which the Secretary 
may, subject to the availability of appropriated funds, make grants to 
provide matching funds for the development, 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 preparation programs 
        may use grants received under this section for--
                    ``(A) ordinary and necessary costs associated with 
                program operation in accordance with cost principles 
                under the applicable Office of Management and Budget 
                circular, including--
                            ``(i) wages or salaries of persons 
                        coordinating the activities of the program,
                            ``(ii) developing training materials, 
                        conducting training, and performing quality 
                        reviews of the returns prepared under the 
                        program,
                            ``(iii) equipment purchases, and
                            ``(iv) vehicle-related expenses associated 
                        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 establishment 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 program,
                    ``(B) the cost of equipment used in the program, 
                and
                    ``(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 containing such information as the 
        Secretary may reasonably require.
            ``(2) Priority.--In awarding grants under this section, the 
        Secretary shall give priority to applications 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 determining matching 
        grants under this section, the Secretary shall only take into 
        account amounts provided by the qualified return preparation 
        program for expenses described in subsection (b).
    ``(d) Program Adherence.--
            ``(1) In general.--The Secretary shall establish procedures 
        for, and shall conduct not less frequently than once every 5 
        calendar years during which a qualified return preparation 
        program is operating 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--
                            ``(i) not to meet the program adherence 
                        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 provides sufficient 
        documentation of corrective measures established to address any 
        such deficiencies determined.
    ``(e) Definitions.--For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) Qualified return preparation program.--The term 
        `qualified return preparation program' means any program--
                    ``(A) which provides assistance to individuals, not 
                less than 90 percent of whom are applicable taxpayers, 
                in preparing and filing Federal 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
                    ``(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 cooperative 
                        agreements, and
                            ``(iv) agrees to provide documentation to 
                        substantiate any matching funds provided 
                        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 enactment of this 
                        section, and which has not been disqualified 
                        from participating in a program under title IV 
                        of such Act,
                            ``(ii) an organization described in section 
                        501(c) and exempt from tax under section 
                        501(a),
                            ``(iii) a local government agency, 
                        including--
                                    ``(I) a county or municipal 
                                government agency, and
                                    ``(II) an Indian tribe, as defined 
                                in section 4(13) of the Native American 
                                Housing Assistance and Self-
                                Determination Act of 1996 (25 U.S.C. 
                                4103(13)), including any tribally 
                                designated housing entity (as defined 
                                in section 4(22) of such Act (25 U.S.C. 
                                4103(22))), tribal subsidiary, 
                                subdivision, or other wholly owned 
                                tribal entity,
                            ``(iv) a local, State, regional, or 
                        national coalition (with one lead organization 
                        which meets the eligibility requirements of 
                        clause (i), (ii), or (iii) acting as the 
                        applicant organization), or
                            ``(v) in the case of applicable taxpayers 
                        and members of underserved populations with 
                        respect to which no organizations described in 
                        the preceding clauses are available--
                                    ``(I) a State government agency, or
                                    ``(II) an office providing 
                                Cooperative Extension services (as 
                                established at the land-grant colleges 
                                and universities under the Smith-Lever 
                                Act of May 8, 1914).
            ``(3) Applicable taxpayers.--The term `applicable taxpayer' 
        means a taxpayer whose income for the taxable year does not 
        exceed an amount equal to the completed phaseout amount under 
        section 32(b) for a married couple filing a joint return with 
        three or more qualifying children, as determined in a revenue 
        procedure or other published guidance.
            ``(4) Underserved population.--The term `underserved 
        population' includes populations of persons 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.--
            ``(1) Duration of grants.--Upon application of a qualified 
        return preparation program, the Secretary is authorized to 
        award a multi-year grant not to exceed 3 years.
            ``(2) Aggregate limitation.--Unless otherwise provided by 
        specific appropriation, the Secretary 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 promote tax 
        preparation through qualified return preparation programs 
        through the use of mass communications and other means.
            ``(2) Provision of information regarding qualified return 
        preparation programs.--The Secretary may provide taxpayers 
        information regarding 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 and 
                assistance from qualified low-income taxpayer clinics 
                receiving funding under section 7526, and
                    ``(B) provide information regarding the location 
                of, and contact information for, such clinics.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 77 is 
amended by inserting after the item relating to section 7526 the 
following new item:

``Sec. 7526A. Return preparation programs for applicable taxpayers.''.
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