By Jade Campos
LNP, Lancaster, Pa.
(TNS)
April 28 — U.S. Rep. Lloyd Smucker’s bill to offer some financial relief to sexual assault survivors is one step closer to becoming law.
The “Survivor Justice Tax Prevention Act” passed the U.S. House by voice vote on Monday. It would eliminate taxes on settlement funds won by sexual assault survivors.
Smucker, Lancaster County’s Republican congressman, said the bill comes down to ensuring survivors have “dignity” and “clarity” on their rights.
Current federal law allows sexual assault survivors to receive tax exemptions, but the IRS requires proof of “visible harm” to do so. Smucker’s bill, introduced with Wisconsin Democrat Gwen Moore, would eliminate the physical proof requirement.
“As you can imagine, sexual violence doesn’t always leave visible scars,” Smucker said on the House floor Monday. “And so, as a result, survivors who have already endured unimaginable trauma can face a second injustice under the current law, or the way that the IRS is applying the law, and that is being taxed on their compensation simply because their suffering doesn’t meet some arbitrary standards.”
According to the National Sexual Violence Center, 81% of women and 43% of men have reported experiencing some form of sexual harassment or assault in their life. Smucker’s office did not immediately respond to a request for information about estimates for how many people may benefit from the policy change if it’s enacted.
The Joint Committee on Taxation estimated the bill would result in a decrease of $89 million in federal revenue from 2026 to 2036. According to the Congressional Budget Office, the proposal would increase spending by less than $500,000 from 2026 to 2031.
The bill was unanimously supported by the House Ways and Means Committee in March. Smucker sits on the committee, which has jurisdiction over tax and trade matters.
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Smucker’s proposal must be approved by the U.S. Senate before it can go to the White House for President Donald Trump’s signature.
Photo caption: Rep. Lloyd Smucker, R-PA (Office of Rep. Lloyd Smucker)
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© 2026 LNP (Lancaster, Pa.). Visit lancasteronline.com. Distributed by Tribune Content Agency LLC.
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