3.0.0 6956 2026-05-01T06:38:22Z 2026-05-01T06:48:33Z House H HR 2026-01-07 119 https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6956 [Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 4 (Wednesday, January 7, 2026)][House]From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]By Mr. SCHNEIDER:H.R. 6956.Congress has the power to enact this legislation pursuantto the following:Article I, Section 8[Page H135]]]> ssfi00 Finance Committee Senate Standing Referred To 2026-04-28T21:20:11Z hswm00 Ways and Means Committee House Standing Reported By 2026-02-20T17:42:32Z Markup By 2026-01-14T17:14:22Z Referred To 2026-01-07T15:01:15Z H. Rept. 119-508 BARCODE Efficiency Act 119 452 S 2025-02-06 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. Identical bill CRS 2026-04-28 ssfi00 Finance Committee Senate Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. IntroReferral 2026-04-27 15:22:19 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection. Floor H38310 2 House floor actions 2026-04-27 15:22:16 On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3100) Floor H37300 2 House floor actions 2026-04-27 15:22:16 Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3100) Floor 8000 9 Library of Congress 2026-04-27 15:09:55 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6956. Floor H8D000 2 House floor actions 2026-04-27 15:09:54 Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3100-3101) Floor H30000 2 House floor actions 2026-04-27 15:09:34 Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended. Floor H30300 2 House floor actions 2026-02-20 Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 434. Calendars H12410 2 House floor actions U00434 2026-02-20 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508. Committee H12200 2 House floor actions hswm00 Ways and Means Committee 2026-02-20 Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508. Committee 5000 9 Library of Congress hswm00 Ways and Means Committee 2026-01-14 hswm00 Ways and Means Committee 1 House committee actions Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 42 - 0. Committee 2026-01-14 hswm00 Ways and Means Committee 1 House committee actions Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held Committee 2026-01-07 Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means. IntroReferral H11100 2 House floor actions hswm00 Ways and Means Committee 2026-01-07 Introduced in House IntroReferral Intro-H 9 Library of Congress 2026-01-07 Introduced in House IntroReferral 1000 9 Library of Congress S001190 Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] Bradley Schneider D IL Scott 10 N Y000067 Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] Rudy Yakym R IN 2 2026-01-07 True 2026-04-21T21:57:03Z H.R. 6956, BARCODE Efficiency Act https://www.cbo.gov/publication/62371 As reported by the House Committee on Ways and Means on February 20, 2026 Taxation Computers and information technology 2026-04-15T16:52:04Z Digital media 2026-04-15T16:51:54Z Government information and archives 2026-04-15T16:52:26Z Tax administration and collection, taxpayers 2026-04-15T16:52:16Z Taxation 2026-01-09T16:09:51Z 00 2026-01-07 Introduced in House 2026-01-14T20:13:31Z 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.

]]> BARCODE Efficiency Act Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text 255 Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act 2026-05-01T06:38:22Z S Senate Referred in Senate RFS Short Titles from RFS (Referred to Senate) bill text 255 BARCODE Efficiency Act 2026-05-01T06:38:22Z S Senate Referred in Senate RFS Short Title(s) as Passed House 104 BARCODE Efficiency Act 2026-04-29T04:53:35Z H House Engrossed in House EH Official Titles from EH (Engrossed in House) bill text 259 To require electronically prepared tax returns to include scannable code when submitted on paper, and to require the use of optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the Internal Revenue Service. 2026-04-29T04:53:35Z H House Engrossed in House EH Short Title(s) as Passed House 104 Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act 2026-04-29T04:53:35Z H House Engrossed in House EH Short Title(s) as Reported to House 102 BARCODE Efficiency Act 2026-02-21T04:53:23Z H House Reported in House RH Short Title(s) as Reported to House 102 Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act 2026-02-21T04:53:23Z H House Reported in House RH Display Title 45 BARCODE Efficiency Act 2026-01-09T08:38:32Z Short Title(s) as Introduced 101 BARCODE Efficiency Act 2026-01-09T08:38:31Z Introduced in House IH Short Title(s) as Introduced 101 Barcode Automation for Revenue Collection to Organize Disbursement and Enhance Efficiency Act 2026-01-09T08:38:31Z Introduced in House IH Official Title as Introduced 6 To require electronically prepared tax returns to include scannable code when submitted on paper, and to require the use of optical character recognition technology for paper documents received by the Internal Revenue Service. 2026-01-09T08:33:18Z Introduced in House IH Referred in Senate 2026-04-28T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr6956rfs/xml/BILLS-119hr6956rfs.xml Engrossed in House 2026-04-27T04:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr6956eh/xml/BILLS-119hr6956eh.xml Reported in House 2026-02-20T05:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr6956rh/xml/BILLS-119hr6956rh.xml Introduced in House 2026-01-07T05:00:00Z https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/BILLS-119hr6956ih/xml/BILLS-119hr6956ih.xml 2026-04-28 Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. text/xml EN Pursuant to Title 17 Section 105 of the United States Code, this file is not subject to copyright protection and is in the public domain. Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress This file contains bill summaries and statuses for federal legislation. A bill summary describes the most significant provisions of a piece of legislation and details the effects the legislative text may have on current law and federal programs. Bill summaries are authored by the Congressional Research Service (CRS) of the Library of Congress. As stated in Public Law 91-510 (2 USC 166 (d)(6)), one of the duties of CRS is "to prepare summaries and digests of bills and resolutions of a public general nature introduced in the Senate or House of Representatives". For more information, refer to the User Guide that accompanies this file.