II 

115TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 1831 

To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified volunteer 

first responders. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

SEPTEMBER 19, 2017 

Ms. HEITKAMP (for herself and Mr. TESTER) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs 

A BILL 

To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for 

qualified volunteer first responders. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Volunteer First Re5 sponder Housing Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. 

7 In this Act: 

8 (1) BONA FIDE VOLUNTEER; ELIGIBLE EM9 PLOYER; QUALIFIED SERVICES.—The terms ‘‘bona 

10 fide volunteer’’, ‘‘eligible employer’’, and ‘‘qualified 


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1 services’’ have the meanings given those terms in 

2 section 457(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 

3 1986. 

4 (2) INDIAN TRIBE.—The term ‘‘Indian tribe’’ 

5 has the meaning given the term in section 4 of the 

6 Indian Self-Determination and Education Assistance 

7 Act (25 U.S.C. 5304). 

8 (3) QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER FIRST RE9 SPONDER.—The term ‘‘qualified volunteer first re10 sponder’’ means any individual who— 

11 (A) is a bona fide volunteer performing 

12 qualified services for an eligible employer; 

13 (B) has volunteered for not less than 2 

14 continuous years for an eligible employer; 

15 (C) during each of the 2 years described in 

16 subparagraph (B)— 

17 (i) met the minimum requirements for 

18 active membership established by the eligi19 ble employer; or 

20 (ii) if the eligible employer did not es21 tablish minimum requirements, volunteered 

22 for not less than 200 hours; and 

23 (D) is certified as a firefighter or other re24 sponder in the State, unit of general local govVerDate Sep 11 2014 00:37 Sep 23, 2017 Jkt 069200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S1831.IS S1831

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1 ernment, or Indian tribe in which the individual 

2 is serving as volunteer. 

3 SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SINGLE FAMILY 

4 HOUSING GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—A qualified volunteer first re6 sponder who submits to the Secretary of Agriculture (re7 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) a verification 

8 letter in accordance with subsection (b) shall be eligible 

9 for a verified adjustment in annual income under section 

10 3555.152(c) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or 

11 successor regulations), in the amount of $18,000. 

12 (b) VERIFICATION LETTER.—To be eligible for a 

13 verified deduction under subsection (a), a qualified volun14 teer first responder shall submit to the Secretary a 

15 verification letter from the head of the eligible employer 

16 for which the qualified volunteer first responder volun17 teers, which shall— 

18 (1) include the date on which the qualified vol19 unteer first responder joined the eligible employer as 

20 a volunteer; 

21 (2) attest to the Secretary that the qualified 

22 volunteer first responder— 

23 (A) continuously served as a volunteer for 

24 the eligible employer during the 2-year period 

25 preceding the date of the verification letter; and 


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1 (B) during each of the 2 years described in 

2 subparagraph (A)— 

3 (i) met the minimum requirements for 

4 active membership established by the eligi5 ble employer; or 

6 (ii) if the eligible employer did not es7 tablish minimum requirements, volunteered 

8 for not less than 200 hours; and 

9 (3) include a copy of the certification of the 

10 qualified volunteer first responder as a firefighter or 

11 other responder in the State, unit of general local 

12 government, or Indian tribe in which the individual 

13 served as a volunteer. 

14 SEC. 4. GOOD NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR SALES PROGRAM. 

15 (a) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

16 (1) DEPARTMENT.—The term ‘‘Department’’ 

17 means the Department of Housing and Urban De18 velopment. 

19 (2) SECRETARY.—The term ‘‘Secretary’’ means 

20 the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development. 

21 (b) AMENDMENTS.—The Secretary shall amend— 

22 (1) section 291.530 of title 24, Code of Federal 

23 Regulations, to provide that a qualified volunteer 

24 first responder qualifies as a firefighter or emer25 gency medical technician for purposes of the Good 


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1 Neighbor Next Door Sales Program of the Depart2 ment; and 

3 (2) section 291.515 of title 24, Code of Federal 

4 Regulations, to provide that, to qualify to purchase 

5 a home through the Good Neighbor Next Door Sales 

6 Program of the Department, a qualified volunteer 

7 first responder shall submit to the Secretary a 

8 verification letter from the head of the eligible em9 ployer for which the qualified volunteer first re10 sponder volunteers, which shall— 

11 (A) include the date on which the qualified 

12 volunteer first responder joined the eligible em13 ployer as a volunteer; 

14 (B) attest to the Secretary that the quali15 fied volunteer first responder— 

16 (i) continuously served as a volunteer 

17 for the eligible employer during the 2-year 

18 period preceding the date of the verifica19 tion letter; and 

20 (ii) during each of the 2 years de21 scribed in clause (i)— 

22 (I) met the minimum require23 ments for active membership estab24 lished by the eligible employer; or 


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1 (II) if the eligible employer did 

2 not establish minimum requirements, 

3 volunteered for not less than 200 

4 hours; and 

5 (C) include a copy of the certification of 

6 the qualified volunteer first responder as a fire7 fighter or other responder in the State, unit of 

8 general local government, or Indian tribe in 

9 which the individual served as a volunteer. 

Æ 


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