H.R. 9496

End Tax Penalties on American Hostages Act

Ways and Means Committee · Rep. Claudia Tenney (R-NY)

The bill would extend federal tax filing and payment deadlines for Americans who are unlawfully detained or held hostage abroad, as well as their spouses, and would allow the IRS to refund any late fees, penalties, and interest those individuals were charged during their detention. It would require the State Department and Department of Justice to provide the IRS with lists of qualifying detainees each year, and would establish a program for affected Americans to claim refunds of taxes and penalties assessed since 2021.[AI-Generated]

Passed House with amendment (voice vote) 15 September 2026

Record as of 15 September 2026 — the most recent action in the official record. Status can lag; each step below carries its own date.

15 September 2026 Passed House with amendment (voice vote)
What's next: To the Senate (if and when it takes it up)
4 more actions
1. 15 September 2026 Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
2. 15 September 2026 DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 9496.
3. 15 September 2026 Considered under suspension of the rules.
4. 15 September 2026 Mr. Smith (MO) moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
8 September 2026 Reported by committee
8 September 2026 Placed on calendar (House)
2 more actions
1. 1 July 2026 Ordered to be Reported in the Nature of a Substitute by the Yeas and Nays: 40 - 0.
2. 1 July 2026 Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held
29 June 2026 Referred to committee
29 June 2026 Introduced in House

This path starts where the bill does — its first action in the official record. Routine procedural steps sit in the “more actions” rows above rather than on the main line.

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