II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 2316 

To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified volunteer 

first responders. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 12, 2021 

Ms. BALDWIN (for herself, Mrs. CAPITO, Mr. TESTER, and Mr. CRAMER) 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 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
2 

•S 2316 IS

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 ‘‘Indian tribe’’ in 

6 section 501(b) of the Housing Act of 1949 (42 

7 U.S.C. 1471(b)). 

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) continuously served as a volunteer for 

14 the eligible employer during the 2-year period 

15 preceding the date on which the individual sub16 mits a verification letter under section 3(b) or 

17 4(b); 

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

19 subparagraph (B)— 

20 (i) met the minimum requirements for 

21 active membership established by the eligi22 ble employer; or 

23 (ii) if the eligible employer did not es24 tablish minimum requirements, volunteered 

25 for not less than 200 hours; and 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
3 

•S 2316 IS

1 (D) is certified as a firefighter or other 

2 first responder in the State, political subdivision 

3 of a State, or jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe in 

4 which the individual is serving as volunteer. 

5 SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SINGLE FAMILY 

6 HOUSING GUARANTEED LOAN PROGRAM. 

7 (a) IN GENERAL.—A qualified volunteer first re8 sponder who submits to the Secretary of Agriculture (re9 ferred to in this section as the ‘‘Secretary’’) a verification 

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

11 for a deduction in annual income under section 

12 3555.152(c) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or 

13 any successor regulation), in the amount of $18,000. 

14 (b) VERIFICATION LETTER.—To be eligible for a de15 duction under subsection (a), a qualified volunteer first 

16 responder shall submit to the Secretary a verification let17 ter from the head of the eligible employer for which the 

18 qualified volunteer first responder volunteers, which 

19 shall— 

20 (1) include the date on which the qualified vol21 unteer first responder joined the eligible employer as 

22 a volunteer; 

23 (2) attest to the Secretary that the qualified 

24 volunteer first responder meets the requirements 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
4 

•S 2316 IS

1 under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 2(3); 

2 and 

3 (3) include a copy of the certification described 

4 in section 2(3)(D). 

5 SEC. 4. GOOD NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR SALES PROGRAM 

6 AND SIMILAR PROGRAMS. 

7 (a) ELIGIBILITY.—A qualified volunteer first re8 sponder who submits to the Secretary of Housing and 

9 Urban Development (referred to in this section as the 

10 ‘‘Secretary’’) a verification letter in accordance with sub11 section (b) shall qualify as a firefighter or emergency med12 ical technician for purposes of any single family property 

13 disposition program carried out by the Secretary by regu14 lation under section 204(g) of the National Housing Act 

15 (12 U.S.C. 1710(g)) that offers discounted home prices 

16 to firefighters or emergency medical technicians. 

17 (b) VERIFICATION LETTER.—To qualify to purchase 

18 a home under a single family property disposition program 

19 referred to in subsection (a), a qualified first responder 

20 shall submit to the Secretary a verification letter from the 

21 head of the eligible employer for which the qualified volun22 teer first responder volunteers, which shall— 

23 (1) include the date on which the qualified vol24 unteer first responder joined the eligible employer as 

25 a volunteer; 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS
5 

•S 2316 IS

1 (2) attest to the Secretary that the qualified 

2 volunteer first responder meets the requirements 

3 under subparagraphs (B) and (C) of section 2(3); 

4 (3) include a copy of the certification described 

5 in section 2(3)(D); and 

6 (4) include a certification from the qualified 

7 volunteer first responder of the responder’s good 

8 faith intention to continue serving as a volunteer for 

9 the eligible employer for not less than 1 year fol10 lowing the date of closing. 

Æ 


kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS