H.R. 8789

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 8789 Introduced in House (IH)]

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119th CONGRESS
2d Session
H. R. 8789

To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified 
volunteer first responders.

_______________________________________________________________________

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 13, 2026

Mr. Garbarino introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Financial Services

_______________________________________________________________________

A BILL

To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified 
volunteer first responders.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Volunteer First Responder Housing 
Act''.

SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS.

In this Act:
(1) Bona fide volunteer; eligible employer; qualified 
services.--The terms ``bona fide volunteer'', ``eligible 
employer'', and ``qualified services'' have the meanings given 
those terms in section 457(e) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986.
(2) Indian tribe.--The term ``Indian Tribe'' has the 
meaning given the term ``Indian tribe'' in section 501(b) of 
the Housing Act of 1949 (42 U.S.C. 1471(b)).
(3) Qualified volunteer first responder.--The term 
``qualified volunteer first responder'' means any individual 
who--
(A) is a bona fide volunteer performing qualified 
services for an eligible employer;
(B) continuously served as a volunteer for the 
eligible employer during the 2-year period preceding 
the date on which the individual submits a verification 
letter under section 3(b) or 4(b);
(C) during each of the 2 years described in 
subparagraph (B)--
(i) met the minimum requirements for active 
membership established by the eligible 
employer; or
(ii) if the eligible employer did not 
establish minimum requirements, volunteered for 
not less than 200 hours; and
(D) is certified as a firefighter or other first 
responder in the State, political subdivision of a 
State, or jurisdiction of an Indian Tribe in which the 
individual is serving as volunteer.

SEC. 3. DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE SINGLE FAMILY HOUSING GUARANTEED LOAN 
PROGRAM.

(a) In General.--A qualified volunteer first responder who submits 
to the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this section as the 
``Secretary'') a verification letter in accordance with subsection (b) 
shall be eligible for a deduction in annual income under section 
3555.152(c) of title 7, Code of Federal Regulations (or any successor 
regulation), in the amount of $18,000.
(b) Verification Letter.--To be eligible for a deduction under 
subsection (a), a qualified volunteer first responder shall submit to 
the Secretary a verification letter from the head of the eligible 
employer for which the qualified volunteer first responder volunteers, 
which shall--
(1) include the date on which the qualified volunteer first 
responder joined the eligible employer as a volunteer;
(2) attest to the Secretary that the qualified volunteer 
first responder meets the requirements under subparagraphs (B) 
and (C) of section 2(3); and
(3) include a copy of the certification described in 
section 2(3)(D).

SEC. 4. GOOD NEIGHBOR NEXT DOOR SALES PROGRAM AND SIMILAR PROGRAMS.

(a) Eligibility.--A qualified volunteer first responder who submits 
to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development (referred to in this 
section as the ``Secretary'') a verification letter in accordance with 
subsection (b) shall qualify as a firefighter or emergency medical 
technician for purposes of any single family property disposition 
program carried out by the Secretary by regulation under section 204(g) 
of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1710(g)) that offers discounted 
home prices to firefighters or emergency medical technicians.
(b) Verification Letter.--To qualify to purchase a home under a 
single family property disposition program referred to in subsection 
(a), a qualified first responder shall submit to the Secretary a 
verification letter from the head of the eligible employer for which 
the qualified volunteer first responder volunteers, which shall--
(1) include the date on which the qualified volunteer first 
responder joined the eligible employer as a volunteer;
(2) attest to the Secretary that the qualified volunteer 
first responder meets the requirements under subparagraphs (B) 
and (C) of section 2(3);
(3) include a copy of the certification described in 
section 2(3)(D); and
(4) include a certification from the qualified volunteer 
first responder of the responder's good faith intention to 
continue serving as a volunteer for the eligible employer for 
not less than 1 year following the date of closing.
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