BARCODE Efficiency Act
- Last Action
- 4/28/2026
Actions
- 2026-04-28Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- 2026-04-27Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- 2026-04-27On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3100)
- 2026-04-27Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3100)
- 2026-04-27DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6956.
- 2026-04-27Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3100-3101)
- 2026-04-27Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
- 2026-02-20Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 434.
- 2026-02-20Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508.
- 2026-02-20Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508.
- 2026-01-14Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 42 - 0.
- 2026-01-14Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
- 2026-01-07Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 2026-01-07Introduced in House
- 2026-01-07Introduced in House
CRS Summary
As of 2026-01-07 (00)
Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act or the BARCODE Efficiency Act
This bill requires the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) to use barcodes, barcode scanning technology, and optical character recognition (or similar) technology to digitize certain federal tax return information and correspondence, unless the technology is slower or less reliable than other IRS processes (subject to conditions).
Specifically, the bill requires a scannable barcode on electronically-prepared federal tax returns that are printed and filed in paper format with the IRS. The bill also requires the IRS to use barcode scanning technology to convert data included on such returns into an electronic format.
Further, the bill requires the IRS to use optical character recognition (or similar) technology to transcribe federal tax returns and correspondence received by the IRS that are not prepared electronically and are received in paper format.
However, under the bill, the use of barcodes, barcode scanning technology, and optical character recognition (or similar) technology is not required if (1) such technology is slower or less reliable than manual transcription or any other IRS process, and (2) the IRS provides a report to Congress regarding the determination to not use such technology.
Cosponsors (1)
- Rudy Yakym (R-IN)
Subjects
- Computers and information technology
- Digital media
- Government information and archives
- Tax administration and collection, taxpayers
Sourced from Congress.gov (public domain).
This is legal information, not legal advice. Laws vary by jurisdiction and change frequently. Always verify current law with official sources and consult a licensed attorney in your jurisdiction for advice on your specific situation.