I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3024
To amend the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940 to provide 
protections to servicemembers who terminate motor vehicle or residential 
leases entered into before permanent change of station or deployment 
orders or motor vehicle leases entered into before military service. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
SEPTEMBER 5, 2003
Mr. BUYER introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief Act of 1940 
to provide protections to servicemembers who terminate 
motor vehicle or residential leases entered into before 
permanent change of station or deployment orders or 
motor vehicle leases entered into before military service.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. TERMINATION OF RESIDENTIAL OR MOTOR VE-
HICLE LEASES. 
Section 304 of the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Civil Relief 
Act of 1940 (50 U.S.C. App. 534) is amended to read 
as follows:
‘‘SEC. 304. TERMINATION BY LESSEES OF RESIDENTIAL OR 
MOTOR VEHICLE LEASES ENTERED INTO BE-
FORE MILITARY SERVICE OR BEFORE PER-
MANENT CHANGE OF STATION OR DEPLOY-
MENT ORDERS. 
‘‘(a) TERMINATION BY LESSEE.—The lessee on a 
lease described in subsection (b) may, at the lessee’s op-
tion, terminate the lease at any time after—
‘‘(1) the lessee’s entry into military service; or 
‘‘(2) the date of the lessee’s military orders de-
scribed in paragraph (1)(B) or (2)(B) of subsection 
(b), as the case may be. 
‘‘(b) COVERED LEASES.—This section applies to the 
following leases: 
‘‘(1) LEASES OF PREMISES.—A lease of prem-
ises occupied, or intended to be occupied, by a 
servicemember or a servicemember’s dependents for 
a residential, professional, business, agricultural, or 
similar purpose if—
‘‘(A) the lease is executed by or on behalf 
of a person who thereafter and during the term 
of the lease enters military service; or 
‘‘(B) the servicemember, while in military 
service, executes the lease and thereafter re-
ceives military orders for a permanent change
of station or to deploy with a military unit for 
a period of not less than 90 days. 
‘‘(2) LEASES OF MOTOR VEHICLES.—A lease of 
a motor vehicle used, or intended to be used, by a 
servicemember or a servicemember’s dependents for 
personal or business transportation if—
‘‘(A) the lease is executed by or on behalf 
of a person who thereafter and during the term 
of the lease enters military service under a call 
or order specifying a period of not less than 
180 days (or who enters military service under 
a call or order specifying a period of 180 days 
or less and who, without a break in service, re-
ceives orders extending the period of military 
service to a period of not less than 180 days); 
or 
‘‘(B) the servicemember, while in military 
service, executes the lease and thereafter re-
ceives military orders for a permanent change 
of station outside of the continental United 
States or to deploy with a military unit for a 
period of not less than 180 days. 
‘‘(c) MANNER OF TERMINATION.—
‘‘(1) IN
GENERAL.—Termination of a lease 
under subsection (a) is made—
‘‘(A) by delivery by the lessee of written 
notice of such termination to the lessor (or the 
lessor’s grantee), or to the lessor’s agent (or the 
agent’s grantee); and 
‘‘(B) in the case of a lease of a motor vehi-
cle, by return of the motor vehicle by the lessee 
to the lessor not later than 10 days after the 
date of the delivery of notice under subpara-
graph (A). 
‘‘(2) NATURE OF NOTICE.—Delivery of notice 
under paragraph (1)(A) may be accomplished—
‘‘(A) by hand delivery; 
‘‘(B) by private business carrier; or 
‘‘(C) by placing the written notice in an 
envelope with sufficient postage and with return 
receipt requested, and addressed as designated 
by the lessor (or the lessor’s grantee) or to the 
lessor’s agent (or the agent’s grantee), and de-
positing the written notice in the United States 
mails. 
‘‘(d) EFFECTIVE DATE OF LEASE TERMINATION.—
‘‘(1) LEASE OF PREMISES.—In the case of a 
lease described in subsection (b)(1) that provides for 
monthly payment of rent, termination of the lease 
under subsection (a) is effective 30 days after the
first date on which the next rental payment is due 
and payable after the date on which the notice under 
subsection (c) is delivered. In the case of any other 
lease described in subsection (b)(1), termination of 
the lease under subsection (a) is effective on the last 
day of the month following the month in which the 
notice is delivered. 
‘‘(2) LEASE OF MOTOR VEHICLES.—In the case 
of a lease described in subsection (b)(2), termination 
of the lease under subsection (a) is effective on the 
day on which the requirements of subsection (c) are 
met for such termination. 
‘‘(e) ARREARAGES AND OTHER OBLIGATIONS AND 
LIABILITIES.—Rents or lease amounts unpaid for the pe-
riod preceding the effective date of the lease termination 
shall be paid on a prorated basis. In the case of the lease 
of a motor vehicle, the lessor may not impose an early 
termination charge, but any taxes, summonses, and title 
and registration fees and any other obligation and liability 
of the lessee in accordance with the terms of the lease, 
including reasonable charges to the lessee for excess wear, 
use and mileage, that are due and unpaid at the time of 
termination of the lease shall be paid by the lessee. 
‘‘(f) RENT PAID
IN ADVANCE.—Rents or lease 
amounts paid in advance for a period after the effective
date of the termination of the lease shall be refunded to 
the lessee by the lessor (or the lessor’s assignee or the 
assignee’s agent). 
‘‘(g) RELIEF TO LESSOR.—Upon application by the 
lessor to a court before the termination date provided in 
the written notice, relief granted by this section to a 
servicemember may be modified as justice and equity re-
quire. 
‘‘(h) PENALTIES.—
‘‘(1) MISDEMEANOR.—Any person who know-
ingly seizes, holds, or detains the personal effects, 
security 
deposit, 
or 
other 
property 
of 
a 
servicemember or a servicemember’s dependent who 
lawfully terminates a lease covered by this section, 
or who knowingly interferes with the removal of such 
property from premises covered by such lease, for 
the purpose of subjecting or attempting to subject 
any of such property to a claim for rent accruing 
subsequent to the date of termination of such lease, 
or attempts to do so, shall be fined as provided in 
title 18, United States Code, or imprisoned for not 
more than one year, or both. 
‘‘(2) PRESERVATION OF OTHER REMEDIES.—
The remedy and rights provided under this section 
are in addition to and do not preclude any remedy
for wrongful conversion otherwise available under 
law to the person claiming relief under this section, 
including any award for consequential or punitive 
damages.’’.
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