H.R.1834 — Breaking the Gridlock Act
House Roll Call
H.R.1834
| Bill | H.R.1834 — Breaking the Gridlock Act |
|---|---|
| Vote question | On Passage |
| Vote type | Yea-and-Nay |
| Result | Passed |
| Totals | Yea 230 / Nay 196 / Present 0 / Not Voting 5 |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| R | 17 | 196 | 0 | 5 |
| D | 213 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| I | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
Research Brief
On Passage
Bill Analysis
HR 1834 – Breaking the Gridlock Act (119th Congress) is a targeted amendment to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) aimed at easing housing-related financial burdens for certain servicemembers and their families.
Substantive change:
The bill amends 50 U.S.C. 3955 (SCRA lease termination protections) to add a new qualifying condition for early termination of residential leases. Currently, SCRA allows servicemembers to terminate leases without penalty in specified circumstances (e.g., deployment, PCS orders). HR 1834 adds that a servicemember may terminate a residential lease if:
- The servicemember is not on active duty;
- The servicemember is a veteran; and
- The servicemember has a service-connected disability rated at 100 percent by the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA).
Scope and effect:
- Applies to residential leases only (not commercial).
- Extends SCRA-style protections to a narrow class of post-service veterans with total service-connected disability, effectively treating them like covered servicemembers for lease-termination purposes.
- Landlords and property managers nationwide who lease to such veterans would be required to honor early termination rights under the same general framework as SCRA (e.g., notice requirements, timing, and prohibition on early-termination penalties).
Agencies and authorities:
- Department of Defense (DoD) and Department of Justice (DOJ) retain their existing SCRA-related enforcement and implementation roles; the bill does not create a new agency or program.
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) remains the authority determining the 100 percent service-connected disability rating that triggers eligibility.
Funding:
- The bill does not authorize new appropriations or create new grant or benefit programs. Implementation would rely on existing SCRA enforcement mechanisms and agency resources.
Beneficiaries and regulated parties:
- Beneficiaries: Veterans with a 100 percent service-connected disability rating and their families, by enabling flexible relocation and avoidance of lease penalties.
- Regulated: Residential landlords and property managers, who must comply with the expanded SCRA lease-termination right.
Timeline:
- The bill specifies no phased implementation; changes would take effect upon enactment, subject to standard regulatory and guidance updates.
Yea (230)
J
Jason Crow
L
Lloyd Doggett
J
John Garamendi
J
John Mannion
L
Lucy McBath
E
Eric Swalwell
R
Rashida Tlaib
N
Nydia Velázquez
D
Debbie Wasserman Schultz
Nay (196)
K
Ken Calvert
S
Scott Franklin
L
Lisa McClain
D
David Schweikert
P
Pete Sessions
