Bill > HR8097

This bill, the Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, expands eligibility for certain housing assistance programs, specifically the Department of Agriculture's Single Family Housing Guaranteed Loan Program and the Department of Housing and Urban Development's Good Neighbor Next Door Sales Program, to qualified volunteer first responders. To be considered a qualified volunteer first responder, an individual must have served as a bona fide volunteer for at least 2 continuous years, meeting the minimum active membership requirements or volunteering for at least 200 hours per year, and be certified as a firefighter or other responder in their state, local government, or Indian tribe. The bill provides a verified adjustment of $18,000 in annual income for qualified volunteer first responders under the USDA program, and allows them to qualify as firefighters or emergency medical technicians for the HUD program.