H.R. 997 · Where this bill is now
Passed both chambers
House: Passed Mar 31, 2025, 385–0 (roll call 85); Senate: Passed Sep 28, 2026, by unanimous consent
What this bill does
In plain words · AI-written from the official summaryGives taxpayer advocate more control over staff
The Taxpayer Advocate Service helps people work through problems with the IRS. This bill would let the National Taxpayer Advocate hire and manage legal counsel and other staff directly, without having to go through the Treasury Department's main legal office. Right now, lawyers who work for the Taxpayer Advocate Service have to report to Treasury's General Counsel instead of to the Taxpayer Advocate themselves.
How it affects you
If you've had trouble with the IRS and reached out to the Taxpayer Advocate Service for help, this could affect how quickly and smoothly your case gets resolved. The change gives the Taxpayer Advocate more independence to staff up and manage their team, which could make the service more responsive to taxpayers who need assistance.
Read the official summary (Introduced in House, Feb 5, 2025)
National Taxpayer Advocate Enhancement Act of 2025
This bill authorizes the National Taxpayer Advocate to appoint legal counsel within the Taxpayer Advocate Service (TAS) to report directly to the National Taxpayer Advocate. The bill also expands the authority of the National Taxpayer Advocate to take personnel actions with respect to local taxpayer advocates (located in each state) to include actions with respect to any employee of TAS.
Currently, pursuant to a Department of the Treasury order, all legal counsel whose duties include providing legal advice to any official in any office or bureau of Treasury are part of the Legal Division within Treasury and under the supervision of the General Counsel, with limited exceptions. TAS assists taxpayers in matters involving the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) and is part of the IRS, within Treasury.
Written by AI (Claude) using only the official summary by the Congressional Research Service, the Library of Congress’s nonpartisan research staff. It can miss nuance, so check the official summary and the bill text for details.
1st SessionH. R. 997
AN ACT
National Taxpayer Advocate Enhancement Act of 2025
Sponsor: Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-IA-4) · Introduced Feb 5, 2025 · Taxation · 5 versions of the text
Sources: Congress.gov actions and votes · bill text from GovInfo · latest official action Sep 28, 2026: “Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent. (consideration: CR S5123)”
How Congress voted
Official roll callsHouse · On Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended · Mar 31, 2025
Motion to Suspend the Rules and Pass, as Amended Passed 385–0
| Party | Yes | No | Didn’t vote |
|---|---|---|---|
| Democrats | 193 | 0 | 20 |
| Republicans | 192 | 0 | 25 |
Congress votes on whole bills and amendments, not on single sections.