Helping Our Heroes Act
Sponsored By: Representative Bresnahan
Introduced
Summary
The Helping Our Heroes Act would create a new charitable deduction for volunteer emergency responders by treating each hour of qualified volunteer service as a $20 contribution, capped at 300 hours per person per year. It covers bona fide volunteer firefighters, emergency medical and rescue personnel, ambulance services, civil air patrol, search and rescue, and related training.
Show full summary
- Volunteers: Bona fide volunteers would count service at $20 per hour, up to 300 hours per year. Members of Congress are excluded.
- Tax filers who do not itemize: People who do not itemize deductions could claim this benefit, but their deduction would be limited to the value of qualified volunteer services recognized under the new rule.
- Organizations and oversight: Each hour would be treated as a contribution to the recipient organization, with verification procedures set by the Secretary and the $20 rate subject to future inflation adjustments.
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Bill Overview
Analyzed Economic Effects
2 provisions identified: 1 benefits, 1 costs, 0 mixed.
Tax break for volunteer first responders
If enacted, bona fide volunteer firefighters, EMTs, ambulance, civil air patrol, and search-and-rescue workers could claim a new tax deduction. Each hour of qualified service would count as a $20 charitable gift, up to 300 hours per year (up to $6,000). Training hours would count if the organization requires or authorizes them. Hours served while you are a Member of Congress would not count, and the IRS would set verification rules. This would start for tax years after December 31, 2025. The $20 rate would rise with inflation for tax years after December 31, 2026, rounded to the nearest dollar.
New limit on non-itemizer charity deduction
If enacted, people who take the standard deduction could only claim a separate charitable write-off for hours of qualifying volunteer service under this bill. Other gifts would not count toward that non-itemizer deduction. This could reduce deductions for standard-deduction filers who give cash or property but do not itemize. The change would start for tax years after December 31, 2025.
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Sponsors & CoSponsors
Sponsor
Bresnahan
PA • R
Cosponsors
Rep. Harder, Josh [D-CA-9]
CA • D
Sponsored 11/4/2025
Rep. Vindman, Eugene Simon [D-VA-7]
VA • D
Sponsored 11/17/2025
Rep. Neguse, Joe [D-CO-2]
CO • D
Sponsored 12/18/2025
Rep. Tran, Derek [D-CA-45]
CA • D
Sponsored 12/30/2025
Roll Call Votes
No roll call votes available for this bill.
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