1. Short title
This Act may be cited as the “Gold Star Spouses Non-Monetary Benefits Act”.
Gold Star Spouses Non-Monetary Benefits Act
A BILL
To restore certain non-monetary Federal benefits to surviving spouses, eligible for the Gold Star lapel button, who remarried, and for other purposes.
2. Federal benefits for remarried surviving spouses eligible for the Gold Star lapel button
Civil service—
Preference eligible— Section 2108(3)(D) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking “unmarried”.
Noncompetitive appointment— Section 3330d(a)(3)(B) of such title is amended to read as follows:
“(B) who was married to a member of the Armed Forces on the date on which the member dies while on active duty in the Armed Forces.”
Department of Defense—
Commissary and exchange benefits— Section 1062 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
by inserting “(a) Unremarried former spouses.—” before “The Secretary”; and
by adding at the end the following new subsection:
“(b) Surviving spouses eligible for the gold star lapel buttion—The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations as may be necessary to provide that a surviving spouse eligible for the gold star lapel button under section 1126 of this title is entitled to commissary and exchange privileges to the same extent and on the same basis as the surviving spouse of a retired member of the uniformed services.”
Certain morale, welfare, and recreation privileges—
In general— Chapter 54 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new section:
“1066. Use of commissary stores and MWR facilities: surviving spouses eligible for the gold star lapel button
“(a) Eligibility of surviving spouses eligible for the gold star lapel button—A surviving spouse who is eligible for a gold star lapel button under section 1126 of this title shall be permitted to use commissary stores and MWR retail facilities on the same basis as the dependent of a member of the armed forces on active duty.
“(b) MWR retail facilities defined—In this section, the term MWR retail facilities has the meaning given that term in section 1063 of this title.”
Clerical amendment— The table of sections at the beginning of chapter 54 of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new item:
Eligibility for medical and dental care— Paragraph (2) of section 1072 of title 10, United States Code, is amended—
in subparagraph (H), by striking “; and” and inserting a semicolon;
in subparagraph (I)(v), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and
by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(J) A surviving spouse who is eligible for a gold star lapel button under section 1126 of this title.”
Entitlement to medical and dental care— Section 1076(a)(2) of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(F) A surviving spouse who is eligible for a gold star lapel button under section 1126 of this title.”
Department of Veterans Affairs—
Special marriage provisions— Section 103(d)(2) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:
“(C) The remarriage of the surviving spouse of a veteran shall not bar the furnishing of non-monetary benefits to such surviving spouse if such surviving spouse is eligible for a gold star lapel button under section 1126 of title 10.”
Eligibility for housing and small business loans— Section 3701(b) of title 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:
“(8) The term “veteran” also includes an individual who is—
“(A) the surviving spouse of a veteran; and
“(B) eligible for a gold star lapel button under section 1126 of title 10.”
Effective date— The amendments made by this section shall apply beginning on the first day of the first month beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.