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SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2013

Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-280.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Oct 28, 2013

SCRA Enhancement and Improvement Act of 2013 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to:

extend the period during which a contract for the purchase of real or personal property or the lease or bailment of such property entered into by a member of the uniformed services (servicemember) may not be rescinded or terminated for a breach to one year after such member's period of military service;

change the period during which an action to enforce a mortgage, trust deed, or other security against a servicemember is covered by a stay of proceedings or adjustment of obligation to the period in which such action is pending (instead of the period in which such action is filed);

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prohibit the accrual of a mortgage prepayment penalty incurred by a servicemember during military service;

delay the expiration of a license issued by a state or local licensing authority to a servicemember, or a continuing education requirement to maintain such a license, to 180 days after such servicemember is no longer eligible for hostile fire or imminent danger special pay;

expand protections against collection of taxes owned by a servicemember with respect to personal property or real property occupied for dwelling, professional, trade, business, or agricultural purposes;

prohibit the denial of credit to a servicemember solely by reason of entitlement to protections under SCRA;

expand due diligence requirements for determining whether an individual is a servicemember prior to taking a default judgment against such individual;

extend the protections of SCRA to servicemembers who are personally liable as a guarantor or co-maker of a mortgage, trust deed, or other security in the nature of a mortgage;

permit the use of arbitration to settle a dispute under SCRA;

authorize the Attorney General to issue a civil investigate demand for documents relating to an investigation under SCRA prior to initiating a civil action for violations of such Act; and

double the amount of civil penalties for a first violation of SCRA and for subsequent violations.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Sanders, Bernard [I-VT] · I–VT

Committees

  • Veterans' Affairs Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 113-280.

  2. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

  3. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

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Related bills identified by Congress.gov

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Source last updated: Aug 12, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

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