Important Senate Bill- Members Please Help

[lenoxxx]

Ok Greek Chat Lambda Chi's- here is a chance to actually help out.

Right now in the Senate there is a bill called S.1246 that would let housing donations be tax deductible for Greek Housing. It has passed the house but stalled in the senate. This would be a big boost to our giving/ housing projects in the Greek World. Most of the Big Fraternities are down there lobbying as we speak.

What can we do?

Write a letter to both of your state senators, and do it asap. This kind of letter writing campaign can help. Here is the letter that I just sent to both of my State Senators.

Copy and paste the appropriate parts

Lenoxxx

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September 28th, 2003



The Honorable Rick Santorum
United States Senate
711 Hart Senate Office Building
Washington, D.C. 20510

Dear Senator Santorum:

Please consider sponsoring S. 1246, the Collegiate Housing and Infrastructure Act of 2003. I am an alumnus of Shippensburg University, and a member of Lambda Chi Alpha Fraternity. This legislation will improve the safety of fraternity and sorority houses nationwide.

Currently, taxpayers can deduct contributions to an organization exempt from taxation under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. If the 501(c)(3) organization is aligned with a college or university, that organization may expend contributions on student facilities such as dorms, dining halls, study areas, libraries, computers, laundry facilities, physical fitness facilities and social or recreational areas. More importantly, the organization may expend funds on providing life-safety systems, such as updated fire detection and prevention systems. These expenditures do not threaten the tax status of the organization.

Next to colleges and universities, fraternities and sororities are the largest not-for-profit student landlords in the United States, providing housing to more than 250,000 students at no cost to the host institution. Clearly, fraternities and sororities are meeting a need for housing at colleges and universities across the country, but unlike a 501(c)(3) that is aligned with a college or university, a 501(c)(3) aligned with a fraternity or sorority cannot make the same broad types of expenditures detailed above without jeopardizing its exempt status. In particular, a 501(c)(3) aligned with a fraternity or sorority can only spend funds on purely educational housing improvements, and thus cannot purchase life-safety systems, such as a sprinkler system.

Life-saving technologies, like sprinkler systems, are present in only 35% of campus fires, placing many students at risk. Fires at fraternity and sorority houses comprise 10% of campus fires each year, but have five times the damage costs and twice the injury rate of other fires. A change in the tax law to encourage investments in collegiate housing life-safety technology is a change that will undoubtedly save lives in the years to come.

S. 1246 will correct the disparity in tax treatment of gifts used for the benefit of collegiate housing infrastructure improvements and help improve student safety. Please consider adding your name to the list of co-sponsors of S. 1246 today.

Sincerely,



Jason Lenox
4335 West Whitehall Road
Pa Furnace, PA 16865
September 28th, 2003