Brian Mast (R-FL)
Service Member Residence Protection Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, known as the ``Service Member Residence Protection Act'', seeks to change the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. It aims to preempt State laws that establish squatter's rights. This would apply to real property owned by a member of the uniformed services. Specifically, the law would not apply to premises owned by a servicemember that are occupied by a squatter while the servicemember is on active military service.
Yes
- Scored +7
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill specifically protects the property interests of service members against squatters during their period of service.
- Scored +6
Does this give the federal government more power?
The bill uses federal preemption to override state-level squatter's rights laws.
- Scored +5
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill protects the property rights of service members by preventing squatters from establishing rights to their premises during active service.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
The bill reduces the strength of state laws that may protect occupants of properties through squatter's rights.
- Scored -1
Does this make housing cost less?
By preempting state squatter's rights laws, the bill may reduce the legal protections for occupants of properties owned by service members.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
- Protection of property ownership: This provision would ensure that State squatter's rights laws do not apply to premises owned by a servicemember and occupied by a squatter during their military service. This protects the property rights of those in the uniformed services. (Section 2(a))
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the text provided.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this give the federal government more power? — The bill uses federal preemption to override state-level squatter's rights laws.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill specifically protects the property interests of service members against squatters during their period of service. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill reduces the strength of state laws that may protect occupants of properties through squatter's rights.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill protects the property rights of service members by preventing squatters from establishing rights to their premises during active service.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — By preempting state squatter's rights laws, the bill may reduce the legal protections for occupants of properties owned by service members.
- 5/13/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.