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house Bill H.R. 3724

Does the IRS Need to be Banned From Rehiring Employees it Fired for Misconduct?

Argument in favor

It shouldn’t be possible for employees who were fired by the IRS for misconduct to be rehired the agency and have access to the personal information of taxpayers. Congress needs to intervene and stop the IRS from rehiring terminated employees.

BTSundra's Opinion

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04/20/2016

This would prevent much of what has happened so far from happening again, at least in the same fashion.

Like (7)

operaman's Opinion

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04/20/2016

IRS agent who can't pay their own taxes should be fired or set up a repayment plan. Agents in debt maybe prayed upon by criminals or they may turn criminal.

Like (4)

Stephen's Opinion

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04/21/2016

Considering that the recidivism rate for re-hires is 20%, this should be no-brainer.

Like (2)

Argument opposed

The IRS shouldn’t have to deal with a blanket prohibition on rehiring former employees who were fired. It should evaluate those employees that try to return to the agency on a case-by-case basis, as everyone deserves a second chance.

Steven's Opinion

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04/22/2016

A solution looking for a problem. Who rehires employees after dismissing them for cause?

Like (11)

bmitchell4217's Opinion

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04/21/2016

A joyful little piece of tedium that Congress has taken up to avoid doing anything meaningful.

Like (7)

StratonGarrard's Opinion

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04/25/2016

Believe it or not, every government agency isn't always run by morons. There are SO many more pertinent things for Congress to do right now.

Like (3)

What is House Bill H.R. 3724?

This bill would prohibit the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) from rehiring employees who were previously fired by the agency for misconduct. Currently the IRS doesn’t have such a policy in place, and has rehired hundreds of employees who were terminated for improperly accessing taxpayer information, filing false documents, unacceptable performance or other problems.

This legislation would apply to all former IRS employees who were fired before, on, or after its date of enactment. It also includes a clause making it clear that it would authorize no additional funding for the IRS.

Impact

Former IRS employees who were fired for misconduct and those competing with them for jobs at the IRS; and the IRS.

Cost of House Bill H.R. 3724

$0.00

The CBO estimates that enacting this bill would have a negligible effect on the federal budget.

More Information

In-Depth: Sponsoring Rep. Kristi Noem (R-SD) introduced this bill to stop the IRS’ rehiring of employees that it had previously fired for misconduct:

“If a person has been fired for accessing private taxpayer information without permission or filing false documents, they should not be rehired and given access once again to our sensitive data. But the IRS has done this hundreds of times. My bill does what IRS bureaucracy has refused to do. It stops them from rehiring people who have betrayed the trust of taxpayers.”

This legislation was unanimously approved by the House Ways and Means Committee and has the support of eight cosponsors in the House — including seven Republicans and one Democrat.

Of Note: The Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration (TITGA) notes that while many employees rehired by the IRS don’t have performance or conduct issues, the IRS has rehired hundreds that did in their first stint at the agency. Of the more than 300 employees rehired between January 2010 and June 2013, almost 20 percent had new conduct or performance issues after returning to the IRS.

Media:

Summary by Eric Revell
(Photo Credit: Olaf E. Caskin - 1909 Tyee (yearbook of the University of Washington). Photographed from a copy at Seattle Public Library, minimally cleaned up with GIMP., Public Domain via Wikimedia Commons)

AKA

Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act of 2016

Official Title

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from rehiring any employee of the Internal Revenue Service who was involuntarily separated from service for misconduct.

bill Progress

Not enacted
The President has not signed this bill
The senate has not voted
The house Passed April 21st, 2016
Roll Call Vote 345 Yea / 78 Nay
IntroducedOctober 8th, 2015

Bill Data

Issues

Taxes

Committees

Committee on Ways and Means
Committee on Finance

Sponsor

Rep Kristi Noem

(R - SD)

8 Cosponsors

Introduced 10/08/2015

Full text of Bill

BTSundra's Opinion In Favor

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04/20/2016

This would prevent much of what has happened so far from happening again, at least in the same fashion.

Like (7)

Steven's Opinion Against

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04/22/2016

A solution looking for a problem. Who rehires employees after dismissing them for cause?

Like (11)

bmitchell4217's Opinion Against

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04/21/2016

A joyful little piece of tedium that Congress has taken up to avoid doing anything meaningful.

Like (7)

operaman's Opinion In Favor

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04/20/2016

IRS agent who can't pay their own taxes should be fired or set up a repayment plan. Agents in debt maybe prayed upon by criminals or they may turn criminal.

Like (4)

StratonGarrard's Opinion Against

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04/25/2016

Believe it or not, every government agency isn't always run by morons. There are SO many more pertinent things for Congress to do right now.

Like (3)

Stephen's Opinion In Favor

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04/21/2016

Considering that the recidivism rate for re-hires is 20%, this should be no-brainer.

Like (2)

Mark's Opinion In Favor

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04/23/2016

Why would anyone ever do that in the first place? Oh wait it's the government, incompetence is the rule not the exception.

Like (2)

William's Opinion In Favor

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07/25/2016

It is obvious that individuals who were fired for misconduct were fired for a reason–they should not be working within the IRS.

Like (2)

David's Opinion In Favor

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04/21/2016

Seriously, this needs to be asked? In no way shape manor or form should the IRS, or any government bureaucracy, hire back a person who has been proven to be a problem. The fact that this is in question tells me that our bureaucrats are in need of some serious training on reputation and ethics.

Like (2)

David's Opinion Against

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04/22/2016

The Congress should butt out of trying to micromanage Executive branch agencies.

Like (2)

Lesia's Opinion In Favor

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04/22/2016

I've never worked anywhere that would rehire someone fired for misconduct and with good reason: the best predictor of future behavior is past behavior

Like (2)

Patrick mike's Opinion In Favor

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01/01/2017

How is this even a question? It demonstrates how out-of-control the public sector unions have become.

Like (2)

John's Opinion Against

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04/24/2016

Bmithchel has it right. Why does the IRS need such a rule? Are they in the habit of rehiring former employees who were dismissed for cause? Let Congress address a real issue for a change.

Like (2)

B.R.'s Opinion In Favor

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04/20/2016

There is definitely a larger issue at hand here. It appears that the IRS hiring staff needs to be either educated or replaced. When 20% of new hires have a performance/misconduct problem, there is something wrong with the hiring practices. Additionally, you may want to look at the orientation process of new hires and ensure that the definition of misconduct is clear and when violated, what the consequences are.

Like (2)

KpngThdreamAlve's Opinion In Favor

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04/27/2016

my argument is that after a persons been fired for some type of misconduct. they are going to think that they are above every one else.

Like (2)

Richard's Opinion In Favor

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04/21/2016

I doubt a private business would rehire a former employee who had been discharged for misconduct. Why should it be different in this case?

Like (1)

Lfdavis's Opinion In Favor

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04/21/2016

Not only the IRS, but all government agencies.

Like (1)

Buster's Opinion In Favor

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05/11/2016

Even thinking of something this fucking stupid shows the low level of intelligence of or leaders

Like (1)

Chas's Opinion Against

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04/21/2016

The IRS may have management issues that should be fixed, but congress needs to stay out of it. Congress is performing a witch hunt against the IRS. It needs to stop.

Like (1)

Ronald's Opinion In Favor

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04/23/2016

Come on how stupid are the administrators.

Like (1)

Like Causes?

house Bill H.R. 3724

Does the IRS Need to be Banned From Rehiring Employees it Fired for Misconduct?

Argument in favor

Argument opposed

What is House Bill H.R. 3724?

Impact

Cost of House Bill H.R. 3724

More Information

AKA

Ensuring Integrity in the IRS Workforce Act of 2016

Official Title

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to prohibit the Commissioner of the Internal Revenue Service from rehiring any employee of the Internal Revenue Service who was involuntarily separated from service for misconduct.

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bill Progress

Bill Data