To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified volunteer first responders.

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress] [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office] [H.R. 8789 Introduced in House (IH)] <DOC> 119th CONGRESS 2d Session H. R. 8789 To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified volunteer first responders. _______________________________________________________________________ IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES May 13, 2026 Mr. Garbarino introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Financial Services _______________________________________________________________________ A BILL To expand eligibility for certain housing programs for qualified volunteer first responders. 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 ``Volunteer First Responder Housing Act''. SEC. 2. DEFINITIONS. In this Act: (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 section 3(b) or 4(b); (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