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People & committees
Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] · R–PA
Legislative record
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Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
Text links open the official source. We also preserved the text version used in the PlainBill explanation below.
Source last updated: Oct 5, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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PlainBill explanation
Based on the full Introduced in House · 2026-09-21 text. This explanation has not received human editorial review. This overview describes the proposal’s major provisions; it does not establish what its real-world effects would be.
The proposed HELPER Plus Act would authorize government-backed mortgage insurance for qualifying first-time homebuyers in specified jobs, including teachers and emergency workers. It would allow financing up to the property's appraised value without a down payment and prohibit monthly mortgage insurance premiums, while requiring an upfront premium. The text also lists dispatchers, corrections staff and child care workers, but retains additional eligibility conditions specifically tied to its narrower definition of first responder. That makes access for those additional workers unclear.
This Act may be cited as the HELPER Plus Act.
the Secretary may insure any mortgage that involves an original principal obligation (including allowable charges and fees and the premium pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph) in an amount not to exceed 100 percent of the appraised value of the property involved
the mortgagor of a mortgage described in subclause (I) shall not be required to pay any amount, in cash or its equivalent, on account of the property.
The Secretary shall establish and collect an insurance premium in connection with mortgages insured under this subsection
A mortgage insured under this subsection shall not be subject to a monthly insurance premium, including a premium under subsection (c)(2)(B).
employed as a full-time teacher by a State-accredited public school or private school that provides direct services to students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
(i) be employed as— (I) a first responder; (II) a 911 call center operator and dispatcher; (III) a correctional officer or prison guard; or (IV) a child care worker; (ii) have been— (I) employed as a first responder for not less than 4 of the 5 years preceding the date on which the mortgagor submitted an application to insure the mortgage under this section; or (II) released from employment as a first responder due to an occupation-connected disability resulting from such duty or employment;
The bill would add a mortgage insurance program to section 203 of the National Housing Act. On a lender's application, the Secretary could insure an eligible mortgage and commit to insurance before the mortgage is executed or its funds are disbursed. This is permission to provide insurance, not a requirement to approve every application.
Section 203 of the National Housing Act (12 U.S.C. 1709) is amended by adding at the end the following:
The Secretary may, upon application by a mortgagee, insure any mortgage eligible for insurance under this subsection to an eligible mortgagor and, upon such terms and conditions as the Secretary may prescribe, make commitments for the insurance of such mortgages prior to the date of their execution or disbursement.
The bill's definition of first responder includes qualifying full-time government law enforcement employees; full-time or volunteer firefighters, paramedics and emergency medical technicians serving specified government departments or units; and full-time teachers at state-accredited public or private schools serving pre-kindergarten through grade 12. Individuals would attest to their qualifying status.
The term first responder means an individual who is, as attested by the individual— (i) (I) employed full-time by a law enforcement agency of the Federal Government, a State, a Tribal government, or a unit of general local government; and (II) in carrying out such full-time employment, sworn to uphold, and make arrests for violations of, Federal, State, county, township, municipal, or Tribal laws, or authorized by law to supervise sentenced criminal offenders or individuals with pending criminal charges; (ii) employed full-time or on a volunteer basis as a firefighter, paramedic, or emergency medical technician by a fire department or emergency medical services responder unit of the Federal Government, a State, a Tribal government, or a unit of general local government; or (iii) employed as a full-time teacher by a State-accredited public school or private school that provides direct services to students in grades pre-kindergarten through 12.
The additional job definitions cover employees or contractors connected to emergency call receipt and dispatch, detention-facility staff responsible for custody, and workers whose primary daily work is direct child care or education in centers or homes. Child care providers must comply with applicable state or Tribal licensing, registration or regulatory standards. These definitions do not resolve the separate first-responder eligibility conditions.
The term 911 call center operator and dispatcher means an individual who, as an employee of, or under contract with, a public safety agency, State, unit of local government, or emergency communications center that— (i) receives incoming 9–1–1 calls, text messages, or other electronic communications requesting emergency assistance; and (ii) dispatches law enforcement, fire, emergency medical, or other emergency response personnel and coordinates communication between such personnel and the emergency communications center.
The term corrections officer or prison guard means an officer or employee of any detention facility, including a prison or jail, and has the job responsibilities of providing for the custody of incarcerated individuals.
The term child care worker means any individual whose primary and daily focus of work is— (i) providing child care services, including direct care and education services, to children for a family child care provider or other child care provider, or a provider of early childhood education, that is in compliance with any licensing or registration standards, or regulations, of the State, Indian Tribe, or Tribal organization involved; and (ii) providing the child care services in a center-based or home-based setting.
in good faith intend to continue as a first responder for not less than 1 year following the date of closing on the mortgage
A covered mortgage could be used only to purchase or repair a single-family principal residence, including a condominium unit, or to purchase a qualifying manufactured principal residence. A manufactured home must be permanently affixed to land the borrower owns or purchases with the home and meet the stated real-property title requirement. Borrowers would attest that the home is their principal residence.
be used only to— (aa) purchase or repair a 1-family residence, including a 1-family dwelling unit in a condominium project, to serve as a principal residence of the mortgagor, as attested by the mortgagor; or (bb) purchase a principal residence of the mortgagor, as attested by the mortgagor, which is— (AA) a manufactured home to be permanently affixed to a lot that is owned by the mortgagor and titled as real property; or (BB) a manufactured home and a lot to which the home will be permanently affixed that is titled as real property.
The Secretary could insure a mortgage for up to 100 percent of the property's appraised value, including allowable charges, fees and the upfront insurance premium within that limit. For such a mortgage, the borrower would not have to pay cash or its equivalent on account of the property. Covered mortgages would also have to comply with existing statutory requirements that are referenced but not reproduced.
comply with the requirements established under paragraphs (1) through (7) of subsection (b)
Notwithstanding any provision to the contrary in the matter following subsection (b)(2)(B) with respect to first-time homebuyers— (I) the Secretary may insure any mortgage that involves an original principal obligation (including allowable charges and fees and the premium pursuant to subparagraph (B) of this paragraph) in an amount not to exceed 100 percent of the appraised value of the property involved; and (II) the mortgagor of a mortgage described in subclause (I) shall not be required to pay any amount, in cash or its equivalent, on account of the property.
The Secretary would have to charge an upfront mortgage insurance premium based on the original insured loan amount. The premium could exceed 3 percent, and the Secretary could raise or lower its percentage based on loan performance and market conditions. Monthly mortgage insurance premiums would be prohibited.
The Secretary shall establish and collect an insurance premium in connection with mortgages insured under this subsection that is a percentage of the original insured principal obligation of the mortgage amount, which shall be collected at the time and in the manner provided under subsection (c)(2)(A), except that the premiums collected under this subparagraph— (I) may be in an amount that exceeds 3 percent of the amount of the original insured principal obligation of the mortgage; and (II) may be adjusted by the Secretary from time to time by increasing or decreasing such percentages as the Secretary considers necessary, based on the performance of mortgages insured under this subsection and market conditions.
A mortgage insured under this subsection shall not be subject to a monthly insurance premium, including a premium under subsection (c)(2)(B).
When the mortgage is executed, the borrower would have to qualify as a first-time homebuyer and have completed housing counseling through an agency approved by the Secretary. The bill imports the first-time homebuyer definition from another law without reproducing it, so the supplied text does not establish exactly who meets that definition.
The term first-time homebuyer has the meaning given the term in section 104 of the Cranston-Gonzalez National Affordable Housing Act (42 U.S.C. 12704).
The mortgagor for a mortgage insured under this subsection shall, at the time the mortgage is executed— (A) be a first-time homebuyer; (B) have completed a program of housing counseling provided through a housing counseling agency approved by the Secretary;
Borrowers would have to attest to current employment in one of the listed job categories. Separately, they would need either at least four years of first-responder employment during the five years before applying for mortgage insurance or release from first-responder employment because of a work-connected disability. The disability alternative addresses the employment-history requirement; the text does not expressly waive the other eligibility conditions.
(C) as attested by the mortgagor— (i) be employed as— (I) a first responder; (II) a 911 call center operator and dispatcher; (III) a correctional officer or prison guard; or (IV) a child care worker; (ii) have been— (I) employed as a first responder for not less than 4 of the 5 years preceding the date on which the mortgagor submitted an application to insure the mortgage under this section; or (II) released from employment as a first responder due to an occupation-connected disability resulting from such duty or employment;
(iii) be in good standing as a first responder and not on probation or under investigation for conduct that, if determined to have occurred, is grounds for termination of employment; (iv) in good faith intend to continue as a first responder for not less than 1 year following the date of closing on the mortgage;
Borrowers would also have to attest that they are first responders in good standing, satisfy the stated restrictions concerning probation and investigations for potentially dismissible conduct, and genuinely intend to continue as first responders for at least one year after closing. They must never previously have been a borrower under this program. These continuing first-responder conditions leave eligibility unclear for workers listed separately and for people released because of disability.
(C) as attested by the mortgagor—
(iii) be in good standing as a first responder and not on probation or under investigation for conduct that, if determined to have occurred, is grounds for termination of employment; (iv) in good faith intend to continue as a first responder for not less than 1 year following the date of closing on the mortgage; and (v) have previously never been the mortgagor under a mortgage insured under this subsection;
(i) be employed as— (I) a first responder; (II) a 911 call center operator and dispatcher; (III) a correctional officer or prison guard; or (IV) a child care worker;
released from employment as a first responder due to an occupation-connected disability resulting from such duty or employment
The Secretary would set borrower risk and loan-approval requirements to protect the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund and meet financial objectives. Possible objectives include avoiding an expected government subsidy cost and complying with an existing capital-ratio requirement—a rule about the fund's financial cushion. The bill does not establish that the program would meet those objectives.
(D) meet such requirements as the Secretary shall establish to ensure that insurance of the mortgage represents an acceptable risk to the Mutual Mortgage Insurance Fund; and (E) meet such underwriting requirements as the Secretary shall establish to meet actuarial objectives identified by the Secretary, which may include avoiding a positive subsidy rate or complying with the capital ratio requirement under section 205(f)(2).
The bill would authorize Congress to provide $660,000 for fiscal year 2026 and $160,000 for each fiscal year from 2027 through 2032. Any money appropriated under this authorization would remain available until spent. These amounts are authorizations for funding, not appropriations that themselves provide the money.
There is authorized to be appropriated to carry out the program under this subsection— (A) $660,000 for fiscal year 2026, to remain available until expended; and (B) $160,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2032, to remain available until expended.
Authority to make new mortgage insurance commitments would expire five years after the Secretary first makes the insurance available. The expiration applies to new commitments; it does not say that existing insured mortgages would lose coverage.
The authority to enter into new commitments to insure mortgages under this subsection shall expire on the date that is 5 years after the date on which the Secretary first makes available insurance for mortgages under this subsection.
The supplied official-actions snapshot, updated October 5, 2026, records introduction in the House and referral to the House Committee on Financial Services on September 21, 2026.
Source snapshot updated 2026-10-05T21:44:55Z. 2026-09-21: Referred to the House Committee on Financial Services. 2026-09-21: Introduced in House
A closer look
Reviewed version: Introduced in House · 2026-09-21. These findings describe provisions and who may benefit; they are not judgments of waste, corruption, or motive.
This review covers the supplied bill text. “None identified” does not rule out provisions in later versions or accompanying reports and disclosures.
Provisions outside the bill’s main subject, or policy changes attached to appropriations.
None identified in the reviewed text
No unrelated provision or policy change attached to appropriations was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion does not establish absence in other versions or accompanying materials.
Spending directed to particular recipients or places outside ordinary competitive or formula-based allocation.
None identified in the reviewed text
No congressionally directed spending for particular recipients or places was identified in the complete supplied introduced text. This conclusion is limited to that version and does not establish formal earmark status in other materials.
Narrow exceptions, exemptions, or preferential treatment that warrant a closer look.
Findings to examine
The text contains a narrow alternative to an eligibility requirement. Identifying this exception is not a judgment about its justification.
First responders released from employment because of an occupation-connected disability could satisfy the employment-history condition without meeting the usual four-of-five-year service requirement. This is a narrow exception within the main mortgage program. Other eligibility conditions remain in the text, so it does not clearly guarantee access for every person released because of disability.
(ii) have been— (I) employed as a first responder for not less than 4 of the 5 years preceding the date on which the mortgagor submitted an application to insure the mortgage under this section; or (II) released from employment as a first responder due to an occupation-connected disability resulting from such duty or employment;
(iii) be in good standing as a first responder and not on probation or under investigation for conduct that, if determined to have occurred, is grounds for termination of employment; (iv) in good faith intend to continue as a first responder for not less than 1 year following the date of closing on the mortgage;
Full text preserved for this analysis. Legislative record snapshot: Oct 5, 2026. How PlainBill uses AI