H.R. 578 – Military Residency Choice Act

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Updated April 15, 2026 at 11:53 AM UTC

The Military Residency Choice Act changes the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act so that spouses of active-duty servicemembers can choose to use the same state of residence as the servicemember for tax and voting purposes, no matter when they were married. It applies to state and local income tax filings and to determining voting domicile. The changes help military families keep a consistent legal residence while the servicemember is deployed or stationed away from home.

Key Provisions

Adds a provision allowing a servicemember’s spouse to elect the same residence for state and local tax purposes as the servicemember, regardless of marriage date, effective for tax returns filed after the law’s enactment.
Amends voting‑residency rules so a spouse accompanying a servicemember abroad is not automatically deemed to have lost or gained domicile in another state, and may also elect the servicemember’s residence for voting purposes; these voting changes take effect 90 days after enactment.

Legislative Activity

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2 earlier actions

HouseCommittee Latest Action

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Economic Opportunity Subcommittee

February 3, 2017

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HouseIntro Referral

Introduced in House

January 13, 2017

HouseIntro Referral

Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

Veterans' Affairs Committee

January 13, 2017

HouseCommittee

Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.

Economic Opportunity Subcommittee

February 3, 2017

Floor Debate

1 member

What members said about H.R. 578 on the floor

1 Democrat

Rep. Salud O. CarbajalD-CA-24 · Jun 26, 2018

Mr. Speaker, on June 25, 2018, I missed votes in the House in order to visit a migrant children detention facility in Texas. Had I been present, I would have voted: AYE on Roll Call No. 289--the Blue…

Bill Text

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Introduced in HouseIssued January 13, 2017

I

115th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 578

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

January 13, 2017

Mr. Wittman (for himself and Mr. Issa) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to authorize spouses of servicemembers to elect to use the same residences as the servicemembers.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Military Residency Choice Act.

2.

Residence of spouses of servicemembers for tax purposes

(a)

Residence for tax purposes

Section 511(a)(2) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 4001(a)(2)) is amended by adding at the end the following new sentence: The spouse of a servicemember may elect to use the same residence for purposes of taxation as the servicemember regardless of the date on which the marriage of the spouse and the servicemember occurred..

(b)

Applicability

The amendment made by subsection (a) shall apply with respect to any return of State or local income tax filed for any taxable year beginning with the taxable year that includes the date of the enactment of this Act.

3.

Residence of spouses of servicemembers for voting

(a)

In general

Section 705(b) of such Act is amended—

(1)

by striking State or local office and all that follows through the period at the end of paragraph (3) and inserting State or local office—; and

(2)

by adding at the end the following new paragraphs:

(1)

a person who is absent from a State because the person is accompanying the person’s spouse who is absent from that same State in compliance with military or naval orders shall not, solely by reason of that absence—

(A)

be deemed to have lost a residence or domicile in that State, without regard to whether or not the person intends to return to that State;

(B)

be deemed to have acquired a residence or domicile in any other State; or

(C)

be deemed to have become a resident in or a resident of any other State; and

(2)

the spouse of a servicemember may elect to use the same residence as the servicemember regardless of the date on which the marriage of the spouse and the servicemember occurred.

.

(b)

Effective date

The amendments made by subsection (a) shall take effect on the date that is 90 days after the enactment of this Act.