Tammy Baldwin (D-WI)
Volunteer First Responder Housing Act
A Democratic bill with 1 Republican cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban 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
The "Volunteer First Responder Housing Act" aims to expand housing program eligibility for qualified volunteer first responders. It allows these individuals to receive an $18,000 annual income deduction for the Department of Agriculture Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program. Additionally, it allows qualified volunteers to be treated as firefighters or emergency medical technicians for HUD single family property disposition programs that offer discounted home prices. To qualify, volunteers must meet specific service duration and certification requirements.
Yes· 3 of 10
- Scored +7
Does this make housing cost less?
Provides income deductions for loans and discounted home prices for volunteer first responders.
- Scored +6
Would households on low incomes be better off under this?
Provides significant financial advantages for home purchasing via income deductions.
- Scored +6
Would people in rural areas be better off under this?
Volunteer first responders are more common in rural areas, and the USDA program specifically targets rural housing.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
-
Income Deduction for Loans: Qualified volunteer first responders can get an $18,000 deduction in annual income for the Department of Agriculture Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program (Section 3(a)).
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Discounted Home Prices: Qualified volunteer first responders can qualify as firefighters or emergency medical technicians for HUD single family property disposition programs that offer discounted home prices (Section 4(a)).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
-
Strict Service Requirements: To benefit from these programs, an individual must have continuously served for 2 years and meet specific membership requirements or have volunteered for at least 200 hours during each of those years (Section 2(3)).
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Continuing Service Obligation: To purchase a home under HUD programs, a volunteer must certify their good faith intention to continue serving as a volunteer for at least 1 year after the closing date (Section 4(b)(4)).
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 households on low incomes be better off under this? — Provides significant financial advantages for home purchasing via income deductions. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Volunteer first responders are more common in rural areas, and the USDA program specifically targets rural housing. Would middle-income households be better off under this? — Increases accessibility to government-backed housing programs. Would Native Americans be better off under this? — Specifically includes jurisdictions of Indian Tribes in the definition of qualified service. Would people in their twenties and thirties be better off under this? — Helps young first responders enter the housing market via deductions and discounts. Would people in middle age be better off under this? — Provides housing benefits for active adult volunteers.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Does this make housing cost less? — Provides income deductions for loans and discounted home prices for volunteer first responders. Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — Assists low-to-middle income volunteers in achieving home ownership. Is this likely to reduce homelessness? — Increases access to affordable home ownership for a specific group of public servants.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this invest in rural communities? — Expands USDA housing loan eligibility, which primarily impacts rural areas.
- 6/10/2026
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs.
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- Introduced in Senate
5 bills Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Kevin CramerRepublican · North Dakota