[Congressional Record Volume 162, Number 44 (Monday, March 21, 2016)]
[House]
[Pages H1484-H1485]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




    FORECLOSURE RELIEF AND EXTENSION FOR SERVICEMEMBERS ACT OF 2015

  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the 
bill (S. 2393) to extend temporarily the extended period of protection 
for members of uniformed services relating to mortgages, mortgage 
foreclosure, and eviction, and for other purposes.
  The Clerk read the title of the bill.
  The text of the bill is as follows:

                                S. 2393

       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 ``Foreclosure Relief and 
     Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015''.

     SEC. 2. TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF EXTENDED PERIOD OF PROTECTIONS 
                   FOR MEMBERS OF UNIFORMED SERVICES RELATING TO 
                   MORTGAGES, MORTGAGE FORECLOSURE, AND EVICTION.

       Section 710(d) of the Honoring America's Veterans and 
     Caring for Camp Lejeune Families Act of 2012 (Public Law 112-
     154; 50 U.S.C. 3953 note) is amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``December 31, 2015'' and 
     inserting ``December 31, 2017''; and
       (2) in paragraph (3), by striking ``January 1, 2016'' and 
     inserting ``January 1, 2018''.


[[Page H1485]]


  The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Smith of Nebraska). Pursuant to the 
rule, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) and the gentlewoman 
from Florida (Ms. Brown) each will control 20 minutes.
  The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Colorado.


                             General Leave

  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I ask unanimous consent that all Members 
have 5 legislative days in which to revise and extend their remarks and 
add extraneous materials on S. 2393.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from Colorado?
  There was no objection.
  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
  Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Foreclosure 
Relief and Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015. This bill was 
introduced by our colleague from Rhode Island, Senator Whitehouse, and 
passed the Senate in December.
  This bill would extend, through December 31, 2017, mortgage-related 
protections for servicemembers who are called to Active Duty under the 
Servicemembers Civil Relief Act. Specifically, these protections would 
prohibit a bank or mortgage company from selling, foreclosing, or 
seizing a property owned by a servicemember without a court order for 1 
year after a servicemember returns from Active Duty.
  This protection allows servicemembers the opportunity to avoid 
foreclosure or seizure during this 1-year period following their 
service, giving them the opportunity to hopefully get back on track 
with mortgage payments.
  In 2008, the report produced by the Commission on the National Guard 
and Reserves found that the threat of foreclosure is a stressor that 
should not be placed on members of the Armed Forces upon their return 
to civilian life.
  Today, as a shrinking Active Duty force leaves more and more 
operational responsibilities to the Guard and Reserves, these home 
foreclosure protections are more important than ever. This year it is 
expected that more than 10,000 members of the Army National Guard and 
Army Reserves will cycle through to Europe, nearly double the number of 
last year. Many thousands more will serve in other theaters of 
operation all over the globe.
  I believe it is essential that we ensure members of the military 
returning home have plenty of time to regain their financial footing, 
particularly when they have selflessly given up their civilian jobs to 
deploy with their Guard or Reserve units.
  This protection has been extended several times by Congress and has 
been considered a noncontroversial extension of existing authorities. 
Without our action on this bill, the protection would slip to only a 
90-day period of foreclosure protection and could impact servicemembers 
as early as the end of this month.
  I would also note that the mortgage industry is supportive of this 
extension. I thank them for their advocacy and for their continued 
support of veterans and active and reserve servicemembers.
  Mr. Speaker, I would be remiss if I did not acknowledge the work of 
the gentleman from Florida (Mr. Grayson) and the gentleman from 
Tennessee (Mr. Fincher) for their work on this issue, as they also had 
similar bills to S. 2393 pending before this body.
  Once again, I urge all Members to support S. 2393.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may 
consume.
  I rise today in support of S. 2393, the Foreclosure Relief and 
Extension for Servicemembers Act of 2015.
  This bill provides a 2-year extension of current protections so 
veterans transitioning out of the military don't lose their homes that 
they owned before beginning their military service, if they are 
experiencing financial hardships for up to a year after they leave the 
service.
  S. 2393 allows courts to pause proceedings to foreclose on or seize a 
home for 1 year following service, allowing time for transitioning 
soldiers to adjust their financial situations, as well as all other 
aspects of their lives, to civilian life.
  We owe our veterans the benefit of the doubt when they may have 
missed payments while facing the tough realities of serving our Nation. 
There is broad support for this provision in both Chambers of Congress, 
and I urge my colleagues to support it today.
  Mr. Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, I have no further speakers, and I reserve 
the balance of my time.
  Ms. BROWN of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my 
time.
  Millions of people are losing their homes and have lost their homes 
to foreclosure. I have worked with the banking community, Federal HUD, 
and NACA. Our veterans and other individuals are still losing their 
homes, and now many churches in my district are closing and losing 
their properties through foreclosure.
  I am pleased that we have this bipartisan legislation, but this bill 
is a temporary fix. We need to work together, as a Congress, to find a 
permanent fix so that our veterans, other individuals, and churches are 
protected from foreclosure.
  Again, I want to thank my colleague, the gentleman from Colorado (Mr. 
Coffman), for bringing this legislation forward. I urge the passage of 
S. 2393.
  Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
  Mr. COFFMAN. Mr. Speaker, once again, I encourage all Members to 
support S. 2393.
  I yield back the balance of my time.
  Ms. JACKSON LEE. Mr. Speaker, I rise in support of S. 2393, the 
``Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Service Members Act of 2015,'' 
which amends the ``Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp 
Lejeune Families Act of 2012'' by extending through December 31, 2017, 
the provisions that protect service members from actions to foreclose 
on a mortgage for one year after their service.
  S. 2393 prohibits the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of a service 
member's mortgaged property without a court order or a waiver from the 
service member.
  In 1940, Congress passed the ``Soldiers' and Sailors' Civil Relief 
Act'' (SSCRA) to provide protections and rights to individuals based on 
their service in the U.S. armed forces.
  In 2003, Congress passed the ``Service Members Civil Relief Act,'' 
which was modernized and reauthorized the protections and rights 
previously available to service members under SSCRA.
  The Service Members Civil Relief Act protects service members in the 
event that their military service impedes their ability to meet 
financial obligations incurred before entry into active military 
service.
  In 2012, the ``Honoring America's Veterans and Caring for Camp 
Lejeune Families Act of 2012'' amended the SCRA to extend the timeframe 
from nine months to one year in which service members are protected 
from the sale, foreclosure, or seizure of mortgaged property and any 
actions filed against them for an inability to comply with the terms of 
the mortgaged obligation.
  The ``Foreclosure Relief and Extension for Services Members Act of 
2014,'' which passed the House by voice vote, extended this provision 
through December 31, 2015.
  Mr. Speaker, our service members keep us safe from all manner of 
threats around the globe, so the least we can do is to keep them and 
their families safe from foreclosure as they transition back to 
civilian life.
  I urge my colleges to support this bill.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. The question is on the motion offered by the 
gentleman from Colorado (Mr. Coffman) that the House suspend the rules 
and pass the bill, S. 2393.
  The question was taken; and (two-thirds being in the affirmative) the 
rules were suspended and the bill was passed.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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