Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act, 2016

H.R. 2995, the Financial Services and General Government Appropriations Act of 2016, is a funding bill that provides the annual budget for the Department of the Treasury, the federal judiciary, the District of Columbia, and various independent agencies like the FCC and the SEC. For everyday citizens, the bill’s primary impact lies in how it manages taxpayer services and federal oversight; for example, it sets the funding levels for the IRS to process tax returns and provides for the continued six-day delivery of mail by the U.S. Postal Service.

The legislation also includes several specific policy restrictions that affect consumer and local issues. It contains provisions that would prevent the FCC from enforcing certain "net neutrality" rules, prohibit the IRS from using funds to implement parts of the Affordable Care Act, and restrict the District of Columbia from using its funds to legalize or reduce penalties for marijuana. Additionally, the bill mandates that the IRS prioritize taxpayer confidentiality and identity theft protection while prohibiting the agency from targeting groups based on their ideological beliefs.