I 
108TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1859
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude from income and 
employment taxes and wage withholding property tax rebates and other 
benefits provided to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical re-
sponders. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
APRIL 29, 2003
Mr. LARSON of Connecticut (for himself, Mr. WELDON of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
SIMMONS, Ms. DELAURO, Mrs. JOHNSON of Connecticut, Mr. SHAYS, Mr. 
GOODE, Mr. ENGLISH, Mr. PETRI, Mr. ROGERS of Michigan, Mr. 
MCHUGH, Mr. WILSON of South Carolina, Mr. MCGOVERN, Mr. FROST, 
Mr. PLATTS, and Mr. FORD) introduced the following bill; which was re-
ferred to the Committee on Ways and Means 
A BILL 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to exclude 
from income and employment taxes and wage with-
holding property tax rebates and other benefits provided 
to volunteer firefighters and emergency medical respond-
ers.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. EXCLUSION FROM INCOME AND EMPLOYMENT 
TAXES AND WAGE WITHHOLDING FOR PROP-
ERTY TAX REBATES AND OTHER BENEFITS 
PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS 
AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS. 
(a) EXCLUSION FROM GROSS INCOME.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—Part III of subchapter B of 
chapter 1 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (re-
lating to items specifically excluded from gross in-
come) is amended by redesignating section 140 as 
section 140A and by inserting after section 139 the 
following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 140. PROPERTY TAX REBATES AND OTHER BENEFITS 
PROVIDED TO VOLUNTEER FIREFIGHTERS 
AND EMERGENCY MEDICAL RESPONDERS. 
‘‘(a) EXCLUSION.—Gross income shall not include a 
qualified property tax rebate or other benefit. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFIED PROPERTY TAX REBATE OR OTHER 
BENEFIT.—For purposes of subsection (a)—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—The term ‘qualified prop-
erty tax rebate or other benefit’ means a rebate of 
real or personal property taxes, or any other benefit, 
provided by a State or political subdivision on ac-
count of services performed as a member of a quali-
fied volunteer emergency response organization.
‘‘(2) QUALIFIED VOLUNTEER EMERGENCY RE-
SPONSE ORGANIZATION.—The term ‘qualified volun-
teer emergency response organization’ means any 
volunteer organization—
‘‘(A) which is organized and operated to 
provide firefighting or emergency medical serv-
ices for persons in the State or political subdivi-
sion, as the case may be, and 
‘‘(B) which is required (by written agree-
ment) by the State or political subdivision to 
furnish firefighting or emergency medical serv-
ices in such State or political subdivision.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions for such part is amended by striking the last 
item and inserting the following new items:
‘‘Sec. 140. Property tax rebates and other benefits provided to 
volunteer firefighters and emergency medical re-
sponders. 
‘‘Sec. 140A. Cross references to other Acts.’’.
(b) EXCLUSION FROM EMPLOYMENT TAXES.—
(1) SOCIAL SECURITY TAXES.—
(A) Section 3121(a) of such Code (relating 
to definition of wages) is amended by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph (20), by striking 
the period at the end of paragraph (21) and in-
serting ‘‘; or’’, and by inserting after paragraph 
(21) the following new paragraph:
‘‘(22) any qualified property tax rebate or other 
benefit (as defined in section 140(b)).’’. 
(B) Section 209(a) of the Social Security 
Act is amended by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of 
paragraph (17), by striking the period at the 
end of paragraph (18) and inserting ‘‘; or’’, and 
by inserting after paragraph (18) the following 
new paragraph: 
‘‘(19) Any qualified property tax rebate or 
other benefit (as defined in section 140(b) of the In-
ternal Revenue Code of 1986).’’. 
(2) UNEMPLOYMENT TAXES.—Section 3306(b) 
of such Code (relating to definition of wages) is 
amended by striking ‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph 
(16), by striking the period at the end of paragraph 
(17) and inserting ‘‘; or’’, and by inserting after 
paragraph (17) the following new paragraph: 
‘‘(18) any qualified property tax rebate or other 
benefit (as defined in section 140(b).’’. 
(3) WAGE WITHHOLDING.—Section 3401(a) of 
such Code (defining wages) is amended by striking 
‘‘or’’ at the end of paragraph (20), by striking the 
period at the end of paragraph (21) and inserting ‘‘; 
or’’, and by inserting after paragraph (21) the fol-
lowing new paragraph: