A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1954 and the Social Security Act to provide an exemption from coverage under the social security program, through a tax refund procedure, for employees who are members of religious faiths which oppose participation in such program, and to provide a similar exemption on a current basis (Pursuant to waiver certificates filed in advance) for employers engaged in farming and their employees in cases where both are members of such faiths; and to make the existing exemption for self-employed members of such faiths available to certain additional individuals.
Latest action. Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
Amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Social Security Act to exempt employees who are members of religious faiths which oppose participation in the social security program from coverage under such program granting to such employees a refund of social security taxes. Exempts employers engaged in farming and their employees in cases where both are members of faiths which oppose participation in the social security system. Extends the exemption from social security taxes to self employed members of religious groups who are opposed to participation in the social security program, but not opposed to participation in private insurance plans.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in House" stage on February 28, 1979. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on February 28, 1979: Referred to House Committee on Ways and Means.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the House
- Passage by the Senate
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
ROBERT WALKER (R-PA) introduced it on February 28, 1979, and 12 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They are 12 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on February 28, 1979, 17361 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 17361 days ago, on February 28, 1979.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- HouseIn committee, no floor vote yet
- SenateAwaits House passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers