PlainBillCongress, translated.Legislation. Context. Public interest.Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Congressional Research Service
Version 36 · Passed House amended · Jul 31, 2008
Improving SCRA and USERRA Protections Act of 2008 - (Sec. 2) Requires (current law authorizes) the appropriate U.S. district court to use its equity powers in any case in which the court determines it is appropriate, including injunctive relief, to fully vindicate a veteran's employment or reemployment rights under the Uniformed Services Employment and Reemployment Rights Act (USERRA) with respect to a state or private employer.
(Sec. 3) Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to require an institution of higher education, when a servicemember is ordered to military service and withdraws or takes a leave of absence from such institution, to: (1) provide a credit or refund to the servicemember of tuition and fees paid for the portion of the program of education for which the servicemember did not receive academic credit after such withdrawal or leave; and (2) provide the servicemember an opportunity to reenroll with the same educational and academic status the servicemember had when activated for service.
Extends the current interest rate cap in SCRA to student loan obligations of members called to military service.
Showing the opening paragraphs of the official summary.
(Sec. 4) Allows servicemembers with deployment orders to terminate or suspend, without fee or penalty, service contracts for services such as phones, utilities, cable television, and Internet access. (Currently, such servicemembers are only permitted to terminate or suspend residential or automobile lease agreements.)
(Sec. 5) Provides penalties under SCRA against creditors for violations of interest rate limits for servicemembers.
(Sec. 6) Allows a military spouse to vote in the same location as the servicemember with respect to federal, state, and local elections.
(Sec. 7) Allows a military spouse to pay taxes in the same state as the servicemember.
(Sec. 8) Provides that compensation of a spouse of a servicemember shall not be considered income within a tax jurisdiction of the United States if, when the compensation is earned, the spouse is not a resident or domiciliary of that jurisdiction, and the jurisdiction is where the servicemember is serving in compliance with military orders.
People & committees
Rep. Herseth Sandlin, Stephanie [D-SD-At Large] · D–SD
Legislative record
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Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
The title of the measure was amended. Agreed to without objection.
Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote. (text: CR 7/29/2008 H7248-7250)
Passed/agreed to in House: On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.(text: CR 7/29/2008 H7248-7250)
Considered as unfinished business. (consideration: CR H7707)
At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Boozman objected to the vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
DEBATE - The House resumed debate on H.R. 6225.
DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on H.R. 6225.
Considered under suspension of the rules. (consideration: CR H7248-7253)
Mr. Filner moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 497.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 110-778.
Reported (Amended) by the Committee on Veterans' Affairs. H. Rept. 110-778.
Ordered to be Reported (Amended) by Voice Vote.
Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Forwarded by Subcommittee to Full Committee by Voice Vote .
Subcommittee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
Subcommittee Hearings Held.
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Introduced in House
Primary sources
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Source last updated: Apr 7, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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Analyze H.R.6225 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.
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