# 119-hr-8789: Volunteer First Responder Housing Act

119-hr-8789, Volunteer First Responder Housing Act, is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-09-21).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8789
- As of: 2026-09-21
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-8789
- Congress: 119
- Title: Volunteer First Responder Housing Act
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2026-05-13
- Sponsor: Rep. Garbarino, Andrew R. [R-NY-2] (R-NY)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Policy area: Housing and Community Development
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-09-21

## Summary

**Expands housing benefits to qualified volunteer first responders.** The bill opens USDA and HUD housing programs to volunteers who meet specific service and certification rules. - Volunteer first responders gain a clear eligibility test. They must have served continuously for 2 years, and during each year either meet their employer’s minimum active membership or volunteer at least 200 hours, and hold local certification. - Rural and single-family borrowers can claim an $18,000 annual deduction under the Department of Agriculture’s single-family housing guaranteed loan rules after submitting a verification letter. - Applicants for HUD property disposition programs, including Good Neighbor Next Door style sales, can qualify as long as they provide the verification letter and agree to continue serving for at least one year after closing.

## Cosponsors (1)

- Rep. Lawler, Michael [R-NY-17] (R-NY), 2026-08-31T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- Big income deduction for volunteer first responders: benefit, high. If enacted, a qualified volunteer first responder would be able to reduce annual income by $18,000 for USDA Single-Family Housing Guaranteed Loan rules. To get the deduction, you would submit a verification letter from the head of your volunteer employer. The letter must show your join date, attest…
- Discounted HUD homes for volunteer responders: benefit, low. If enacted, a qualified volunteer first responder could qualify as a firefighter or EMT for discounted HUD single-family home sales. You would submit a verification letter from your volunteer employer that shows your join date, attests you served continuously for the last two years and that each ye…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act
- 119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025
- 119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act
- 119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025

## Sources
- [119-hr-8789 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/8789)

## Related
- [119-hr-6644: 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6644)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-9237: Take Care of America’s Veterans Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9237)
- [119-hr-2725: Affordable Housing Credit Improvement Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-2725)
- [119-hr-6955: Main Street Capital Access Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6955)
- [119-hr-1229: United States-Israel Defense Partnership Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1229)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-8789 (as of 2026-09-21).