H.R. 2398House111th Congress (2009-2011)In Committee

Service Members First-Time Homebuyer Relief Act of 2009

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HouseIntro Referral Latest Action

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

May 13, 2009

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

May 13, 2009

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.

Ways and Means Committee

May 13, 2009

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 2398 on the floor

1 Republican

Rep. Walter B. JonesR-NC-3 · Jun 10, 2009

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year Congress passed H.R. 1, better known as the economic stimulus package. Included in this package was a provision which modified the first-time homebuyers tax credit…

Mr. Speaker, earlier this year Congress passed H.R. 1, better known as the economic stimulus package. Included in this package was a provision which modified the first-time homebuyers tax credit language that Congress passed last year. Under the new provision, a first-time homebuyer who purchased a home before December 1, 2009, would get a tax credit of $8,000, which can be fully retained by the homebuyer so long as the homebuyer does not sell the home for 36 months after purchase. If the home is sold prior to 36 months, the credit will have to be repaid.

Mr. Speaker, under this law, it is unlikely that U.S. servicepersons who buy their first homes will be able to use the first-time homebuyer tax credit like other American taxpayers. Because many of our military personnel serve at a duty station for only a few years at a time, those who buy a first home are often transferred and have to sell their first residence before the 36-month holding requirement is met.

I recently introduced legislation that would fix this problem by allowing our military men and women the flexibility they need to benefit from this tax credit. H.R. 2398, the Service Members First-Time Homebuyer Relief Act, would amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to allow a member of the United States Armed Forces to retain the first- time homebuyer tax credit if they must sell their home within 36 months of purchase because the servicemember is, one, transferred to a new duty station; two, deployed overseas; or, three, required to reside in government quarters during that period.

I am very pleased that this legislation has received the support of the National Military Families Association. Their letter of support for this bill states, and I quote: ``Thank you for recognizing the mobile lifestyle of servicemembers and their families. H.R. 2398 waives the recapture of the first-time homebuyer's tax credit for servicemembers who are transferred to a different duty station or deployed overseas. Moves and deployments can be stressful for military families and H.R. 2398 helps alleviate a financial concern of military families.''

Mr. Speaker, at this time, I will submit the text of this letter for the Record.

National Military

Family Association,

May 28, 2009.

Hon. Walter B. Jones, Jr.,

House of Representatives,

Washington, DC.

Dear Representative Jones: The National Military Family

Association has long been an advocate for improving the

quality of life of our military family members, who

have sacrificed greatly in support of our Nation. We

appreciate your sponsorship of the ``Service Members First-

Time Homebuyer Relief Act of 2009.''

Thank you for recognizing the mobile lifestyle of service

members and their families. H.R. 2398 waives the recapture of

the first time homebuyer's tax credit for service members who

are transferred to a different duty station or deployed

overseas. Moves and deployments can be stressful for military

families and H.R. 2398 helps alleviate a financial concern of

military families.

We appreciate your on-going support of service members and

their family members. If you have any questions or need

further information, please contact Katie Savant in our

Government Relations Department at (703) 931-6632 or

KSavant@MilitaryFamily. org.

The National Military Family Association is the only

national organization whose sole focus is the military family

and whose goal is to influence the development and

implementation of policies that will improve the lives of the

families of the Army, Navy, Air Force, Marine Corps, Coast

Guard, and the Commissioned Corps of the Public Health

Service and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration. For 40 years, its staff and volunteers,

comprised mostly of military family members, have built a

reputation for being the leading experts on military family

issues.

Sincerely,

Mary T. Scott,

Chairman, Board of Governors.

I hope my colleagues will become cosponsors of H.R. 2398 and join in helping our servicemembers gain the flexibility they need to benefit from the first-time homebuyer's tax credit.

I have also handed a letter explaining this issue to both Chairman Charlie Rangel and Ranking Member David Camp, and I hope they will join me in supporting our military families.

With that, Mr. Speaker, before I close, as I always do on the floor of the House, because we have young men and women in Afghanistan and Iraq, we have young men and women who are dying for this country, and young men and women who are losing limbs in those fights in Afghanistan and Iraq, so I ask God to please bless our men and women in uniform. I ask God to please bless the families of our men and women in uniform. And I ask God in his loving arms to hold the families who've given a child dying for freedom in Afghanistan and Iraq.

And three times, Mr. Speaker, I ask God to please bless America. I ask God to please bless America, and again, I ask God to please bless this great Nation known as America.

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued May 13, 2009

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 2398

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

May 13, 2009

Mr. Jones introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means

A BILL

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to waive recapture of the first-time homebuyer credit for a member of the Armed Forces who sells the residence for which the member receives the credit during the 36-month period after the purchase of the residence because the member is transferred to a new duty station, is deployed overseas, or is required to reside in Government quarters during such period.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Service Members First-Time Homebuyer Relief Act of 2009.

Waiver of recapture of first-time homebuyer credit for members of the Armed Forces transferred to different duty stations or deployed overseas

(a)

In general

Paragraph (4) of section 36(f) of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:

(E)

Special rule for members of Armed Forces

In the case of a member of the Armed Forces of the United States, subparagraph (D) shall be applied without regard to clause (ii) thereof if, after the date of the purchase of the principal residence described therein, such member receives Government orders for service on qualified official extended duty (as defined in section 121(d)(9)(C)) under which such member is required to deploy outside the United States, make a permanent or temporary change of station to a duty station that is at least 50 miles from such residence, or reside in Government quarters. This subparagraph applies regardless of whether the Government orders provide for the return of the member to the original duty station at the end of the deployment or temporary duty.

(b)

Effective date

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall take effect as if included in the amendments made by section 1006 of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Tax Act of 2009.