Meanwhile, the Bush administration once again has asked Congress to change the “ten deadly sins” policy in IRS personnel law that mandates firing employees for certain offenses involving their personal taxes or their handling of other people’s tax returns. The administration wants to modify the infractions subject to mandatory termination and allow a broader range of potential penalties, thus “reducing employee anxiety resulting from unduly harsh discipline or unfounded allegations.” The deadly sins policy has been an ongoing concern of the National Treasury Employees Union, which says the provisions are too broad and vague, that they create fear and confusion in the workplace and leave employees’ careers vulnerable to frivolous charges from the public. The House last year passed legislation (HR-1528) to allow the IRS to take a personnel action other than a disciplinary action for violations of the rules and to make it no longer a “deadly sin” to fail to file a tax return for which a refund is due. That bill is pending before the Senate.