,,iv  #aafth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,h4 ,,con4 ,,res4 #bg  ,,in ,,the       
,,house ,,of ,,representatives  ,march  
#bg1 #bjai,mr4 ,kind 7for himself1 ,mr4 
,smith of ,missouri1 ,mr4 ,larson of    
,connecticut1 ,mr4 ,reed1 ,mr4 ,cleaver1
 ,mr4 ,kelly of ,pennsylvania1 ,mr4     
,perlmutter1 ,mr4 ,luetkemeyer1 ,mr4    
,higgins of ,new ,york1 ,mr4 ,holding1  
,ms4 ,sewell of ,alabama1 ,mrs4         
,walorski1 ,ms4 ,del,bene1 ,mr4         
,la,hood1 ,ms4 ,moore1 ,mr4 ,shimkus1   
,mr4 ,kildee1 ,mr4 ,duffy1 ,mrs4        
,beatty1 ,mr4 ,stivers1 ,mr4 ,heck1 ,mr4
 ,hudson1 ,mr4 ,pocan1 ,mr4 ,grothman1  
,ms4 ,mc,collum1 ,mr4 ,emmer1 ,mr4      
,gottheimer1 and ,mr4 ,gallagher7       
submitted the following concurrent      
resolution2 which was referred to the   
,committee on ,ways and ,means          
,,concurrent ,,resolution  ,expressing  
the sense of the ,congress that         
tax-exempt fraternal benefit societies  
have historically and continue to       
provide critical benefits to ,americans 

and ,united ,states communities4        
,whereas ,america's fraternal benefit   
societies are long-standing mutual aid  
organizations created more than a       
century ago to serve the needs of       
communities and provide for the payment 
of life1 health1 accident1 and other    
benefits to their members2 ,whereas     
fraternal benefit societies represent a 
successful1 modern-day model under which
 individuals come together with a common
 purpose to collectively provide        
charitable and other beneficial         
activities for broader society2 ,whereas
 fraternal benefit societies operate    
under a chapter system--creating a      
nationwide infrastructure1 combined with
 local energy and knowledge--positioning
 them to address most efficiently unmet 
needs in communities1 many of which     
government cannot address2 ,whereas the 
fraternal benefit society model         
represents one of the largest           
member-volunteer networks in the ,united
 ,states1 with approximately #h million 

,americans belonging to more than       
#be1jjj local chapters across the       
country2 ,whereas research has shown    
that the value of the work of fraternal 
benefit societies to society is more    
than #c4h billion per year1 accounting  
for charitable giving1 educational      
programs1 and volunteer activities1 as  
well as important social capital that   
strengthens the fabric1 safety1 and     
quality of life in thousands of         
,american local communities2 ,whereas in
 #aiji1 ,congress recognized the value  
of fraternal benefit societies and      
exempted such organizations from        
taxation1 as later codified in section  
#eja7;c77#h7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code2 ,whereas fraternals have adapted 
since #aiji to better serve the evolving
 needs of their members and the public2 
,whereas the efforts of fraternal       
benefit societies to help ,americans    
save and be financially secure relieves 
pressures on government safety net      
programs2 and ,whereas ,congress        

recognizes that fraternal benefit       
societies have served their original    
purpose for over a century1 helping     
countless individuals1 families1 and    
communities through their fraternal     
member activities3 ,now1 therefore1 be  
it  ,that it is the sense of ,congress  
that-- 7#a7 the fraternal benefit       
society model is a successful private   
sector economic and social support      
system that helps meet needs that would 
otherwise go unmet2  7#b7 the provision 
for life1 sick1 accident1 or other      
benefits to the members of these        
societies1 as required by section       
#eja7;c77#h7 of the ,internal ,revenue  
,code1 is necessary to support the      
charitable and fraternal activities of  
the volunteer chapters within their     
communities2  7#c7 fraternal benefit    
societies have adapted since #aiji to   
better serve their members and the      
public2 and  7#d7 the section           
#eja7;c77#h7 tax exemption of fraternal 
benefit societies continues to generate 

significant1 outsized returns to ,united
 ,states society and the work of        
fraternals should continue to be        
promoted4