House Committee on Veterans' Affairs

Washington, D.C. - Ranking Democratic Member Bob Filner (D-CA), introduced H.R. 1263, a bill to amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to provide surviving spouses with certain protections relating to mortgages and mortgage foreclosures, in support of military families.

Currently, spouses of servicemembers who have died while in service have no mortgage protections, leaving grieving families vulnerable to losing their home and being put on the streets.

"The spouses and children of our servicemembers are part of our military familiy.  Through this difficult period of transition, we need to have compassion for widows and children," Filner said.

He added, "A servicemember sacrifice is not just theirs but of their families as well.  This is why extending mortgage foreclosure protection is a common sense solution.  This period of mortgage protection will allow families to explore their options so they may keep their home."

H.R. 1263 would extend protections against mortgage foreclosure to a survivng spouse of servicemembers who died while in military service.