[Congressional Record Volume 164, Number 63 (Wednesday, April 18, 2018)]
[House]
[Page H3403]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




                        MEDICAL DEBT TAX RELIEF

  (Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas asked and was given permission to address 
the House for 1 minute and to revise and extend his remarks.)
  Mr. SAM JOHNSON of Texas. Mr. Speaker, medical debt can be 
financially crippling, and folks who have been fortunate enough to 
receive debt forgiveness should not face surprise taxes from the IRS on 
that debt.
  Unfortunately, the current Tax Code is not clear on this issue. 
Therefore, it is possible for a taxpayer to have their medical debt 
canceled, but then be required to pay taxes on that forgiven debt as if 
it were income.
  That is plain wrong. To ensure medical debt forgiveness is not a 
taxable event, last week, I introduced the Medical Debt Tax Relief Act.
  I thank Congressman  John Larson for joining me in this effort, and I 
urge our colleagues to join us both in support of this commonsense 
legislation.

                          ____________________