BARCODE Efficiency Act

Summary

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.

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Timeline

1. 7 January 2026

   Introduced

   Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

   Source: IntroReferral

2. 7 January 2026

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

3. 7 January 2026

   Introduced

   Introduced in House

   Source: IntroReferral

4. 14 January 2026

   Vote

   Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 42 - 0.

   Source: Committee

5. 14 January 2026

   Committee

   Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held

   Source: Committee

6. 20 February 2026

   Calendars

   Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 434.

   Source: Calendars

7. 20 February 2026

   Reported

   Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508.

   Source: Committee

8. 20 February 2026

   Reported

   Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Ways and Means. H. Rept. 119-508.

   Source: Committee

9. 27 April 2026

   Passed

   Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.

   Source: Floor

10. 27 April 2026

    Passed

    On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR H3100)

    Source: Floor

11. 27 April 2026

    Passed

    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)

    Source: Floor

12. 27 April 2026

    Floor

    DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6956.

    Source: Floor

13. 27 April 2026

    Floor

    Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H3100-3101)

    Source: Floor

14. 27 April 2026

    Floor

    Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.

    Source: Floor

15. 28 April 2026

    Introduced

    Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

No version snapshots stored. Document URLs remain at the source.

Documents

5 official files

• Referred in Senate

  Referred in Senate · EN · 28 April 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Engrossed in House

  Engrossed in House · EN · 27 April 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Reported in House

  Reported in House · EN · 20 February 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  Introduced in House · EN · 7 January 2026

  DownloadOpen at official source

• Introduced in House

  summary · EN · 7 January 2026

  Open at official source

Sponsors

• Rep. Schneider, Bradley Scott [D-IL-10] · D · Sponsor
• Rep. Yakym, Rudy [R-IN-2] · R · Sponsor
• · ssfi00 · Standing
• · hswm00 · Standing

Related records

• related to → BARCODE Efficiency Act