[Congressional Record Volume 157, Number 167 (Thursday, November 3, 2011)]
[House]
[Page H7270]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                      SONGWRITERS' TAX LEGISLATION

  (Mrs. BLACKBURN asked and was given permission to address the House 
for 1 minute and to revise and extend her remarks.)
  Mrs. BLACKBURN. Mr. Speaker, I rise to speak about legislation I'm 
introducing dealing with tax options for songwriters and music 
publishers. The Songwriters Tax Simplification Reauthorization Act 
reinstates the ability of American music publishers and self-published 
songwriters to elect to use a 5 year, 20 percent per year amortization 
schedule. We had this tax option from 2005 to 2010. Inadvertently, it 
wasn't reauthorized.
  Under current law, tax options available to songwriters and 
publishers are unworkable, obsolete, and cost-prohibitive. This creates 
a disincentive to new investment at a time when the music industry is 
under assault from illegal piracy online and as they are fighting to 
retain and create jobs.
  A 16-year-old singer-songwriter named Bonner Black from Hot Rock, 
Tennessee, came to Washington last month to build support for this 
idea. Her dream is the American dream--to write songs that inspire and 
entertain us. We need this legislation to make certain songwriting 
remains a part of the American dream.

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