[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 3372 Introduced in Senate (IS)]







110th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 3372

  To promote savings by providing a match for eligible taxpayers who 
 contribute to savings products and to facilitate taxpayers receiving 
this match and open a bank account when they file their Federal income 
                              tax returns.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 31, 2008

 Mr. Menendez introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
                  referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To promote savings by providing a match for eligible taxpayers who 
 contribute to savings products and to facilitate taxpayers receiving 
this match and open a bank account when they file their Federal income 
                              tax returns.

    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 ``Saver's Bonus Act of 2007''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) According to the Department of Commerce, Americans are 
        currently saving less than 1 percent of their disposable 
        income.
            (2) According to the Federal Reserve's 2004 Survey of 
        Consumer Finances, 17 percent of all households have zero or 
        negative net worth, while 30 percent have net worth of less 
        than $10,000.
            (3) According to the Federal Reserve's 2004 Survey of 
        Consumer Finances, 11 percent of households do not have a 
        checking account and 9 percent do not have a transaction 
        account of any kind.
            (4) According to the Retirement Security Project, in 2004 
        more than half of all households had zero savings in an 
        employer-based 401(k)-type plan or tax-preferred savings plan 
        account.
            (5) It is in the economic interests of the United States to 
        promote savings among all members of society, regardless of 
        income.

SEC. 3. SAVER'S BONUS.

    (a) In General.--The Secretary of the Treasury shall develop a 
program to match deposits made by qualifying low-income individuals 
into designated savings products.
    (b) Qualifying Low-Income Individuals.--For purposes of this Act, 
the term ``qualifying low-income individual'' means any individual 
determined by the Secretary of the Treasury to be eligible for the 
saver's bonus under this Act.
    (c) Designated Savings Products.--For purposes of this Act, the 
term ``designated savings product'' means any savings product, 
including--
            (1) qualified retirement plans (as defined in section 
        4974(c)) of such Code,
            (2) qualified tuition programs under section 529 of such 
        Code,
            (3) Coverdell education savings accounts under section 530 
        of such Code,
            (4) United States savings bonds,
            (5) certificates of deposits with durations of at least 6 
        months, and
            (6) other types of savings products considered appropriate 
        by the Secretary of the Treasury for the purposes of this Act.
    (d) Saver's Bonus Program.--The program established under 
subsection (a) shall provide that--
            (1) qualifying low-income individuals who direct their 
        Federal income tax refund (in its entirety or a portion 
        thereof) be deposited into any designated savings product shall 
        be eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match or saver's bonus to 
        be deposited directly in any designated savings product,
            (2) qualifying low-income individuals who claim (when 
        filing a Federal income tax return) to have deposited funds 
        into any designated savings product during the course of the 
        tax year shall be eligible for a saver's bonus to be deposited 
        directly into any designated savings product, and
            (3) the saver's bonus--
                    (A) shall equal $500 for qualifying low-income 
                individuals who are eligible for the earned income 
                credit under section 32 of such Code and shall be 
                phased out (but not below zero) for such individuals 
                whose earned income exceeds 120 percent of the earned 
                income threshold at which such eligibility ceases,
                    (B) shall be indexed for inflation every 5 years, 
                and
                    (C) shall be considered a refundable credit for 
                purposes of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
    (e) Conforming Amendment Regarding Funding of Saver's Bonus.--
Section 1324(b)(2) of title 31, United States Code, is amended by 
inserting ``or enacted by the Saver's Bonus Act of 2007,''.
    (f) Effective Date.--The program under, and amendment made by, this 
section shall be effective with respect to Federal income tax returns 
for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.

SEC. 4. OPENING OF ACCOUNTS ON FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS TO FACILITATE 
              SAVINGS.

    (a) Notification of Option.--
            (1) In general.--The Commissioner of Internal Revenue shall 
        notify qualifying low-income individuals who qualify for a 
        Federal income tax refund but fail to provide an ACH direct 
        deposit number on their Federal income tax return that they 
        have the option of an electronic direct deposit and that they 
        may be eligible for the saver's bonus program under section 3 
        if they deposit a refund or a portion of their refund in any 
        designated savings product.
            (2) Method of notification.--The notification under 
        paragraph (1) shall be made through--
                    (A) a public awareness program undertaken by the 
                Secretary of the Treasury, in concert with the 
                Commissioner of the Internal Revenue and others as 
                necessary, at least 6 months before January 2009, and
                    (B) the inclusion of such a notice in the 
                instruction material for any Federal income tax return.
    (b) Establishment of Designated Account Program.--The Secretary of 
the Treasury shall develop, in consultation with the Federal Management 
System, a program to minimize the delivery of non-electronic Federal 
income tax refunds by depositing refunds electronically to an account 
held by a depository institution. This program shall include--
            (1) provisions for such tax refunds to be deposited into a 
        designated account,
            (2) establishment of account parameters with respect to 
        minimum balance requirements and limitations on overdrafts, 
        overdraft fees, and other requirements,
            (3) establishment of means for the taxpayer to access the 
        account electronically or through a payment card, and
            (4) provisions to allow taxpayers to open an account with 
        their Federal income tax refunds through financial service 
        providers, so long such account is held at a depository 
        institution that is insured under the Federal Deposit Insurance 
        Act (12 U.S.C. 1811 et seq.).
    (c) Effective Date.--The notification under subsection (a) and the 
program under subsection (b) shall be effective with respect to Federal 
income tax returns for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.

SEC. 5. PURCHASE OF SAVINGS BONDS ON FEDERAL INCOME TAX RETURNS.

    (a) Notification of Option.--The Commissioner of Internal Revenue 
shall notify individual taxpayers that they have the option of 
purchasing United States savings bonds when they file their Federal 
income tax returns and that they may be eligible for the saver's bonus 
program under section 3. Such notification shall be included in the 
instruction material for any Federal income tax return.
    (b) Establishment of Savings Bond Purchase Program.--The Secretary 
of the Treasury shall develop, in consultation with a task force, a 
program for the purchase by individual taxpayers of United States 
savings bonds on their Federal income tax returns.
    (c) Effective Date.--The notification under subsection (a) and the 
program under subsection (b) shall be effective with respect to Federal 
income tax returns for taxable years beginning after December 31, 2008.
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