H.R. 227: Clergy Act
A House bill (H.R.) in the 119th U.S. Congress.
Overview
| Congress | 119th U.S. Congress (2025–2026) |
|---|---|
| Type | House bill (H.R.) |
| Originating chamber | House |
| Introduced | 2025-01-07 |
| Sponsor | Rep. Fong, Vince [R-CA-20] |
| Policy area | Social Welfare |
| Cosponsors | 20 |
| Latest action | 2026-04-28 — Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. |
| Last updated | 2026-07-18 |
Summary
Official summary (Introduced in House, 2025-01-07):
Clergy Act
This bill establishes a two-year window for certain members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners to revoke their exemption from Social Security and Medicare taxes on ministerial earnings. Under current law, such individuals who object to participation in public insurance programs on religious or conscientious grounds may apply to the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) for an irrevocable exemption and will not receive Social Security or Medicare benefits in retirement unless they have qualifying credits from other employment.
The IRS must develop a plan to inform members of the clergy and Christian Science practitioners of their eligibility to revoke prior exemptions, pursuant to the bill's changes.
Cosponsors (20)
| Name | Party / state |
|---|---|
| Mike Thompson | D CA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-07 |
| Mike Kelly | R PA (original cosponsor) 2025-01-07 |
| Juan Ciscomani | R AZ 2025-01-09 |
| Darin LaHood | R IL 2025-01-09 |
| Suzan K. DelBene | D WA 2025-01-09 |
| Lloyd Smucker | R PA 2025-01-31 |
| Rudy Yakym III | R IN 2025-06-10 |
| Ron Estes | R KS 2025-07-21 |
| Adrian Smith | R NE 2025-07-21 |
| Mike Carey | R OH 2025-07-22 |
| Nathaniel Moran | R TX 2025-07-23 |
| Gus M. Bilirakis | R FL 2025-07-25 |
| Claudia Tenney | R NY 2025-09-08 |
| Gregory F. Murphy | R NC 2025-09-09 |
| Jimmy Panetta | D CA 2025-09-15 |
| Beth Van Duyne | R TX 2025-09-18 |
| Julia Letlow | R LA 2025-09-18 |
| Jim Costa | D CA 2025-10-21 |
| Thomas R. Suozzi | D NY 2025-11-17 |
| Danny K. Davis | D IL 2025-11-25 |
Full text & official record
The official bill text, section-by-section summary, amendments, committee reports, and the complete legislative timeline for H.R. 227 are published by Congress on congress.gov.
View H.R. 227 on congress.gov →
Frequently asked questions
What is H.R. 227?
H.R. 227 is a House bill (H.R.) introduced in the 119th U.S. Congress, originating in the House. Official title: Clergy Act.
Where can I read the full bill text?
The full text, cosponsors, amendments, and legislative status for H.R. 227 are available on congress.gov.
Bill data: congress.gov API (official congressional records).