S. 486: Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011

112th Congress · introduced 2011-03-03 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2011-03-03 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Veterans' Affairs. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 112-116. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011

Plain summary

Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011 - Amends the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to extend from 9 months to 24 months after military service the period of protection for a servicemember against mortgage sale or foreclosure, as well as the stay of proceedings, in the case of an obligation on real property of a servicemember that originated before the period of military service. Repeals the sunset date for such periods of relief under the Housing and Economic Recovery Act of 2008. Increases criminal and civil penalties for mortgage abuses, including felonies for unlawful eviction or distress or for unlawful sale, foreclosure, or seizure.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Protecting Servicemembers from Mortgage Abuses Act of 2011

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] · 16 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Jack Reed (D-RI), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Bernard Sanders (I-VT), Richard J. Durbin (D-IL), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI] reported raising $652,856 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Obligation: A binding promise by a government agency to pay money, for example by signing a contract or awarding a grant. Spending data such as USAspending.gov counts money when it is obligated, which can be before it is actually paid out.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-112s486.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/112/s>

Record fed-us-cong112-s486 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong112 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong112