[Congressional Record Volume 172, Number 42 (Thursday, March 5, 2026)]
[Senate]
[Page S897]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 4358. Ms. BALDWIN submitted an amendment intended to be proposed 
by her to the bill H.R. 6644, a bill to increase the supply of housing 
in America, and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the 
table; as follows:

         
       At the appropriate place, insert the following:

     SEC. ___. VOLUNTEER FIRST RESPONDER HOUSING.

       (a) Definitions.--In this section:
       (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 subsection 
     (b)(2) or (c)(2);
       (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.
       (b) Department of Agriculture Single Family Housing 
     Guaranteed Loan Program.--
       (1) In general.--A qualified volunteer first responder who 
     submits to the Secretary of Agriculture (referred to in this 
     subsection as the ``Secretary'') a verification letter in 
     accordance with paragraph (2) 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.
       (2) Verification letter.--To be eligible for a deduction 
     under paragraph (1), 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--
       (A) include the date on which the qualified volunteer first 
     responder joined the eligible employer as a volunteer;
       (B) attest to the Secretary that the qualified volunteer 
     first responder meets the requirements under subparagraphs 
     (B) and (C) of subsection (a)(3); and
       (C) include a copy of the certification described in 
     subsection (a)(3)(D).
       (c) Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program and Similar 
     Programs.--
       (1) Eligibility.--A qualified volunteer first responder who 
     submits to the Secretary of Housing and Urban Development 
     (referred to in this subsection as the ``Secretary'') a 
     verification letter in accordance with paragraph (2) 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.
       (2) Verification letter.--To qualify to purchase a home 
     under a single family property disposition program referred 
     to in paragraph (1), 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--
       (A) include the date on which the qualified volunteer first 
     responder joined the eligible employer as a volunteer;
       (B) attest to the Secretary that the qualified volunteer 
     first responder meets the requirements under subparagraphs 
     (B) and (C) of subsection (a)(3);
       (C) include a copy of the certification described in 
     subsection (a)(3)(D); and
       (D) 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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