Who can ask the Joint Committee on Taxation for a revenue estimate or help in crafting legislation?
Any Member of Congress may request a revenue estimate for a tax proposal or solicit the committee’s help in crafting tax legislation. There has been a significant growth in the number of revenue requests over time. In 1986, the Joint Committee Staff received 474 requests. In 2010, this figure had increased to almost 6,000 (PDF Chart). While the majority of requests are for revenue estimates, the Joint Committee Staff also receives requests for distributional, legal, and data analyses. All requests are treated as confidential unless otherwise stipulated. A response to a request is released only to the Member making the request and the response remains confidential unless the Member decides to make the information public. Confidentiality allows the Joint Committee Staff to maintain its nonpartisan role in the policy process.
