Reply To: How many stamps will need to be paid back if the Hearing Protection Act passes??
Yes there is. It is call the US Constitution: Article 1, section 9 precludes any Ex Post Facto (After the Fact) laws from being passed. That is the reason that the language say “….from the date of introduction of this bill….”
http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst_A1Sec9.html
Now the SCOTUS has weakened that to allow some tax laws to pass retroactive, but it requires an emergency provision which is highly unlikely. The history of Congress is that it RARELY reaches back to the previous term (it is a two year congressional term that ends January 3 officially and has currently adjourned Sine Die as of Saturday).
What is more likely is that the reintroduction of the bill will state the same thing as it does now or given the back log, that all stamps NOT issued at the time of passage of the bill will get a refund.
No matter how much someone wishes something is so, doesn’t make it so.