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STAND WITH OUR HEROES: Contact Your Senators Now to Pass the Servicemember Residence Protection Act
U.S. Congressman Brian Mast’s Servicemember Residence Protection Act aims to protect active-duty service members from squatters invading their homes while deployed. The bill has passed the House and now needs support in the Senate to ensure immediate eviction rights.
Washington, DC NewsWK — While our brave men and women in uniform are deployed overseas defending our nation’s freedom, they should be entirely focused on their mission. Instead, an unconscionable legal loophole has left many of our service members vulnerable to a devastating home-front threat: illegal property invaders.
Across the United States, active-duty personnel returning from deployments have been shocked to find that trespassers have moved into their vacant properties, unlawfully utilizing inconsistent state-level “squatters’ rights” to lock the true owners out of their own homes. Because evicting a squatter routinely requires lengthy, localized court proceedings, deployed troops—who are thousands of miles away and unable to attend legal hearings—are being subjected to catastrophic financial ruin and emotional distress.
To end this national disgrace, U.S. Congressman Brian Mast (R-FL), an Army veteran who understands the unique hardships of deployment, introduced H.R. 2334: The Servicemember Residence Protection Act.
This critical legislation directly amends the federal Servicemembers’ Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to state that confusing state-level squatters’ rights can never be applied to a home owned by an active-duty service member. By establishing federal preemption, H.R. 2334 completely cuts the bureaucratic red tape, closing the loopholes that trespassers abuse and giving military families the federal backing to evict squatters immediately without facing months of exhausting legal battles.
“The brave men and women serving our country have more than enough to worry about when they come home from deployment,” Rep. Mast stated. “Evicting a squatter should not be anywhere on the list. My bill defends service members, puts their interests first, and stops government protection for squatters invading their homes.”
The Fight Moves to the Senate—And They Need to Hear From You
Thanks to the tireless advocacy of military families and common-sense lawmakers, the House of Representatives recently took a decisive stand and unanimously passed H.R. 2334.
Now, the battle to protect our troops moves to the U.S. Senate. Companion legislation has officially been introduced in the upper chamber to permanently push this protection across the finish line.
Our troops stand on the front lines for us every single day. Now, it is our turn to stand up for them and protect the homes they leave behind. We cannot allow the homes of our heroes to be stolen while they are away serving our country.
TAKE ACTION TODAY: Every American citizen is urged to immediately contact their U.S. Senators. Call their offices, send them emails, and demand that they co-sponsor and vote YES on the Servicemember Residence Protection Act. Let our lawmakers know that putting America’s heroes first is not a partisan issue—it is a moral imperative.
Mike Bost Demands Protections For Service Members Against Squatters Trying To Claim Their Homes
This video outlines the direct testimony from lawmakers arguing why urgent federal intervention is required to secure the residences of active-duty troops while they are serving overseas.
