Section 1 Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Surviving Spouse Contracting Preference Act”.
Surviving Spouse Contracting Preference Act
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to treat small businesses, owned by surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces killed in the line of duty, as small business concerns owned and controlled by veterans for purposes of contracting goals and preferences of the Department of Veterans Affairs, and for other purposes.
Sec. 2 Treatment of businesses owned by surviving spouses of members of the Armed Forces for purposes of Department of Veterans Affairs contracting goals and preferences
In general— Section 8127 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
by redesignating subsections (h) through (k) as subsections (i) through (l), respectively; and
by inserting after subsection (g) the following new subsection (h):
“(h) Treatment of businesses after death of member
“(1) If a member of the Armed Forces is killed in the line of duty in the active military, naval, or air service, the surviving spouse of such member who acquires ownership rights in a small business concern shall, for the period described in paragraph (2), be treated as the surviving spouse of a service-disabled veteran described in section 3(q)(2)(C)(i) of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632(q)(2)(C)(i)).
“(2) The period referred to in paragraph (1) is the period beginning on the date on which the member of the Armed Forces dies and ending on the earliest of the following dates:
“(A) The date on which the surviving spouse of the member remarries.
“(B) The date on which the surviving spouse relinquishes such ownership interest in the small business concern.”
Effective date— Subsection (h) of section 8127 of such title, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date of the enactment of this Act and shall apply with respect to the deaths of members of the Armed Forces occurring on or after such date.