H.R. 2227 – Reading Mode

IIB

116th CONGRESS

2d Session

H. R. 2227

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

February 27, 2020

Received; read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

AN ACT

To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to clarify the authority of servicemembers who incur a catastrophic injury or illness while in military service to terminate leases of premises and motor vehicles, and for other purposes.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act of 2019.

Clarification of termination of leases of premises and motor vehicles of servicemembers who incur catastrophic injury or illness or die while in military service

(a)

Catastrophic injuries and illnesses

Paragraph (4) of section 305(a) of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3955(a)), as added by section 545 of the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2020 (Public Law 116–92), is amended to read as follows:

(4)

Catastrophic injury or illness of lessee

(A)

Termination

If the lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) incurs a catastrophic injury or illness during a period of military service or while performing covered service, during the one-year period beginning on the date on which the lessee incurs such injury or illness—

(i)

the lessee may terminate the lease; or

(ii)

in the case of a lessee who lacks the mental capacity to contract or to manage his or her own affairs (including disbursement of funds without limitation) due to such injury or illness, the spouse or dependent of the lessee may terminate the lease.

(B)

Definitions

In this paragraph:

(i)

The term catastrophic injury or illness has the meaning given that term in section 439(g) of title 37, United States Code.

(ii)

The term covered service means full-time National Guard duty, active Guard and Reserve duty, or inactive-duty training (as such terms are defined in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code).

(b)

Deaths

Paragraph (3) of such section is amended by striking The spouse of the lessee and inserting The spouse or dependent of the lessee.

Passed the House of Representatives February 25, 2020.

Cheryl L. Johnson,

Clerk