Service Member Residence Protection Act
This bill would add a new provision to the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (SCRA) to preempt state laws that create or recognize squatters’ rights for property owned by a servicemember if a squatter occupies that property during the servicemember’s period of military service. In plain terms, while a service member is serving, any state rule that could grant a squatter rights to stay in or claim ownership of the service member’s home would not apply. The change is implemented by creating a new section, 301A, within the SCRA and making a clerical amendment to its table of contents. The intended effect is to better protect service members’ real estate from state-based adverse possession or related squatters’ rights during periods of active military service. The bill is introductory and would implement this protection nationwide, without altering other SCRA protections or procedures. It is currently introduced by Representative Brian Mast and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs.
Key Points
- 1Creates a new Sec. 301A in the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act titled “Preemption of Squatter’s Rights.”
- 2Preempts any State law that establishes squatter’s rights for premises that are owned by a servicemember and occupied by a squatter during the servicemember’s period of military service.
- 3Applies specifically to property owned by the servicemember and occupied by a squatter during the service period; it blocks state squatter-right claims during that time.
- 4Requires a clerical amendment to the SCRA’s table of contents to add a reference to the new section (301A).
- 5Introduced in the House (May 13, 2025) and referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs; sponsor listed as Rep. Mast in the bill text.