Rep. Burchett proposes survivor tax portal bill in House

U.S. Rep. Tim Burchett authored a bill to strengthen tax support for survivors, introducing a dedicated portal and improved recordkeeping, according to the U.S. Congress.

Designated as H.R.8725, the legislation was filed on May 11, 2026, during the 119th Congress’s regular session. Here is a summary derived from the official bill text, with clarifying interpretation included as needed.

The bill requires the Secretary of the Treasury to launch a Survivor Tax Portal within 12 months of the bill becoming law, providing resources for surviving spouses and estate executors in tax return preparation and submission. Features include guidance via checklists, pre-filled forms for estate and joint returns, secure document upload, and identity verification for data protection. An annual instructional guide would be released, and performance standards must be set to address taxpayer questions efficiently. A grant program would also fund states to boost death recordkeeping and reporting, with preference given to projects that improve portal efficiency.

Rep. Tim Burchett (Republican-TN-2nd District) was the sole sponsor of the bill.

In the current session, Rep. Burchett has sponsored 46 additional bills.

Bills in Congress may originate in the House or Senate, although measures concerning revenue must start in the House. After a bill is introduced, it moves to committee for consideration, which includes hearings, amendments, and debate. Both Chambers must pass matching versions for a measure to advance to the president for signature or veto. Each two-year Congress is sequentially numbered and divided into annual sessions. Congress maintains the legislative process and public bill histories at Congress.gov.

Timothy Burchett is a Tennessee Representative who has served in Congress since Jan. 3, 2019. His previous roles include the Tennessee state house (1994-1998), state senate (1998-2010), and Mayor of Knox County (2010-2018).

Burchett graduated from Bearden High School (1982) and earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee in 1988.