What This Bill Does
This bill stops the federal government from using taxpayer money to finance presidential election campaigns. The money that would have gone to those campaigns gets redirected to the Pediatric Research Initiative Fund instead, which supports research on children's health.
Who It Affects
Taxpayers, presidential candidates, the Internal Revenue Service (the federal agency that collects taxes), and researchers working on pediatric (child health) research projects.
Key Provisions
• Taxpayers can no longer direct a portion of their income tax payments to finance presidential elections, starting with tax years after December 31, 2022. (Sec. 2(a))
• The Presidential Election Campaign Fund stops providing money to presidential candidates and nominating conventions after this law is enacted. (Sec. 2(b)(1)(A))
• Any money remaining in the Presidential Election Campaign Fund gets transferred to the Pediatric Research Initiative Fund. (Sec. 2(b)(1)(B))
• The Public Health Service Act is changed so that pediatric research funding comes from the Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Strategic Initiatives instead of the Common Fund (a shared research funding pool). (Sec. 3(a))
What Changes
Presidential candidates no longer receive taxpayer-financed campaign money. The money previously used for presidential election campaigns instead funds pediatric research through a new dedicated fund structure.
Important Definitions
Pediatric Research Initiative: Not specified in bill text
Effective Date
Taxpayer income tax designations stop applying to tax years beginning after December 31, 2022. (Sec. 2(a))
I
118TH CONGRESS
1ST SESSION
H. R. 546
To extend funding for the Pediatric Research Initiative by terminating
taxpayer financing of presidential election campaigns.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
JANUARY 26, 2023
Mr. COLE (for himself, Mr. MCCAUL, Mr. CALVERT, Mr. RUTHERFORD, Mr.
FLEISCHMANN, and Mr. FITZPATRICK) introduced the following bill;
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addi-
tion to the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and House Adminis-
tration, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in
each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdic-
tion of the committee concerned
A BILL
To extend funding for the Pediatric Research Initiative by
terminating taxpayer financing of presidential election
campaigns.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.
3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Strengthen the Pedi-
4
atric Research Initiative Act’’.
5
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:11 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H546.IH
H546
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
2
•HR 546 IH
SEC. 2. TERMINATION OF TAXPAYER FINANCING OF PRESI-
1
DENTIAL ELECTION CAMPAIGNS.
2
(a) TERMINATION OF DESIGNATION OF INCOME TAX
3
PAYMENTS.—Section 6096 of the Internal Revenue Code
4
of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following
5
new subsection:
6
‘‘(d) TERMINATION.—This section shall not apply to
7
taxable years beginning after December 31, 2022.’’.
8
(b) TERMINATION OF FUND AND ACCOUNT.—
9
(1) TERMINATION OF PRESIDENTIAL ELECTION
10
CAMPAIGN FUND.—
11
(A) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 95 of subtitle
12
H of such Code is amended by adding at the
13
end the following new section:
14
‘‘SEC. 9014. TERMINATION.
15
‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply with
16
respect to any presidential election (or any presidential
17
nominating convention) after the date of the enactment
18
of this section, or to any candidate in such an election.’’.
19
(B) TRANSFER OF REMAINING FUNDS.—
20
Section 9006 of such Code is amended by add-
21
ing at the end the following new subsection:
22
‘‘(d) TRANSFER OF FUNDS REMAINING AFTER TER-
23
MINATION.—The Secretary shall transfer the amounts in
24
the fund as of the date of the enactment of this subsection
25
to the Pediatric Research Initiative Fund described in sec-
26
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:11 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H546.IH
H546
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
3
•HR 546 IH
tion 9008(i)(2), to be available as described in such sec-
1
tion.’’.
2
(2) TERMINATION OF ACCOUNT.—Chapter 96
3
of subtitle H of such Code is amended by adding at
4
the end the following new section:
5
‘‘SEC. 9043. TERMINATION.
6
‘‘The provisions of this chapter shall not apply to any
7
candidate with respect to any presidential election after
8
the date of the enactment of this section.’’.
9
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.—
10
(1) The table of sections for chapter 95 of sub-
11
title H of such Code is amended by adding at the
12
end the following new item:
13
‘‘Sec. 9014. Termination.’’.
(2) The table of sections for chapter 96 of sub-
14
title H of such Code is amended by adding at the
15
end the following new item:
16
‘‘Sec. 9043. Termination.’’.
SEC. 3. FUNDING FOR THE PEDIATRIC RESEARCH INITIA-
17
TIVE.
18
(a) DESCRIPTION OF FUND.—Section 402A(a)(2) of
19
the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282a(a)(2)) is
20
amended—
21
(1) in the heading—
22
(A) by striking ‘‘10-YEAR’’; and
23
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:11 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H546.IH
H546
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB
4
•HR 546 IH
(B) by striking ‘‘THROUGH
COMMON
1
FUND’’;
2
(2) by striking ‘‘to the Common Fund’’ and in-
3
serting ‘‘to the Division of Program Coordination,
4
Planning, and Strategic Initiatives’’;
5
(3) by striking ‘‘10–Year’’;
6
(4) by striking ‘‘and reserved under subsection
7
(c)(1)(B)(i) of this section’’; and
8
(5) by inserting before the period the following:
9
‘‘, and amounts transferred into the Pediatric Re-
10
search Initiative Fund under section 9006(d) of the
11
Internal Revenue Code of 1986’’.
12
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO PUBLIC HEALTH
13
SERVICE ACT.—Section 402(b)(7)(B)(ii) of the Public
14
Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 282(b)(7)(B)(ii)) is amend-
15
ed by striking ‘‘the Common Fund’’ and inserting ‘‘the
16
Division of Program Coordination, Planning, and Stra-
17
tegic Initiatives’’.
18
(c) CONFORMING AMENDMENT TO INTERNAL REV-
19
ENUE CODE OF 1986.—Section 9008(i)(2) of the Internal
20
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ‘‘10–Year’’.
21
Æ
VerDate Sep 11 2014
22:11 Feb 08, 2023
Jkt 039200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H546.IH
H546
pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB