A Republican bill with 4 Democratic cosponsors · See all 6 cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
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
The "Helping Our Heroes Act" proposes an amendment to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986. It aims to allow a charitable deduction for the service of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical and rescue personnel. Under this bill, each hour of qualified service would be treated as a $20 contribution to the service organization. There is a limit of 300 hours of service per individual for any taxable year. This deduction would apply to bona fide volunteers performing services such as firefighting, emergency medical, and search and rescue.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +3
Would middle-income households be better off under this?
The bill offers a specific tax deduction for those performing community service roles.
- Scored +3
Does this cut taxes for middle-income families?
The bill provides a new tax deduction for volunteer emergency services that benefits middle-income households.
- Scored +2
Would retired people be better off under this?
The bill provides a tax incentive for the volunteer service frequently performed by retirees.
The opposite
- Scored -1
Does this reduce what the federal government spends?
The bill reduces federal revenue by creating a new tax deduction.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Financial benefit for volunteers: The bill treats each hour of qualified service as a $20 contribution, which can be used as a charitable deduction (Section 2(a)(1)).
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Support for various emergency services: The deduction applies to several critical roles, including firefighting, emergency medical and rescue services, ambulance services, civil air patrol, and search and rescue services (Section 2(a)(3)(B)).
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Inclusion of training: The benefit covers not just active service, but also required or authorized training and training-related activities (Section 2(a)(3)(B)).
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Benefit for non-itemizers: The bill amends the code so that the deduction can be applied even by individuals who do not elect to itemize their deductions (Section 2(b)).
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Protection against inflation: After the year 2026, the $20 per hour amount is scheduled to increase annually based on cost-of-living adjustments (Section 2(a)(5)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Limits on service hours: There is a cap on the deduction, meaning no more than 300 hours of qualified services can be taken into account for any single individual during a taxable year (Section 2(a)(2)).
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Exclusion for certain officials: Members of Congress are not allowed to claim this deduction for services rendered during their time in office (Section 2(a)(6)).
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.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would middle-income households be better off under this? — The bill offers a specific tax deduction for those performing community service roles. Would retired people be better off under this? — The bill provides a tax incentive for the volunteer service frequently performed by retirees. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — The bill allows the deduction to be applied even by those who do not itemize, benefiting lower-income earners. Would people over 65 be better off under this? — The bill provides a tax deduction that can benefit retired individuals who serve as volunteers.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this cut taxes for middle-income families? — The bill provides a new tax deduction for volunteer emergency services that benefits middle-income households. Does this reduce what the federal government spends? — The bill reduces federal revenue by creating a new tax deduction.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this improve help for people hit by a disaster? — The bill supports the personnel who provide essential disaster relief and emergency services.
- Healthcare
- Does this make health care easier to get in general? — The bill incentivizes volunteer emergency medical and rescue services which supports community healthcare access.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — The bill provides a modest tax relief mechanism for those performing community service.
- 8/20/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 7/16/2026
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/30/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 12/18/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/17/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 11/4/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in House
Josh HarderDemocrat · California
Thomas KeanRepublican · New Jersey
Michael LawlerRepublican · New York
Joe NeguseDemocrat · Colorado
Derek TranDemocrat · California
Eugene VindmanDemocrat · Virginia