II 

118TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 4721 

To make dependents of members of the Armed Forces who died while serving 

on active duty eligible for enrollment in Department of Defense Education Activity schools on a tuition-free, space-available basis. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

JULY 11 (legislative day, JULY 10), 2024 

Mr. OSSOFF (for himself, Mr. ROUNDS, and Mr. CRAMER) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on 

Armed Services 

A BILL 

To make dependents of members of the Armed Forces who 

died while serving on active duty eligible for enrollment 

in Department of Defense Education Activity schools 

on a tuition-free, space-available basis. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gold Star Children 

5 Education Act of 2024’’. 


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•S 4721 IS

1 SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF DEPENDENTS OF CERTAIN DE2 CEASED MEMBERS OF THE ARMED FORCES 

3 FOR ENROLLMENT IN DEPARTMENT OF DE4 FENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY SCHOOLS. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Chapter 108 of title 10, United 

6 States Code, is amended by inserting after the item relat7 ing to section 2164a the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 2164b. Eligibility of dependents of certain de9 ceased members for enrollment in schools 

10 operated by Department of Defense Edu11 cation Activity 

12 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A dependent of a covered mem13 ber is eligible to enroll in a school operated by the Depart14 ment of Defense Education Activity without regard to— 

15 ‘‘(1) whether the dependent was enrolled in 

16 such a school on the date of the death of the mem17 ber; or 

18 ‘‘(2) the proximity of the school in which the 

19 dependent seeks enrollment to the location where the 

20 dependent resided on the date of the death of the 

21 member. 

22 ‘‘(b) TUITION-FREE, SPACE-AVAILABLE ENROLL23 MENT.—Enrollment of a dependent of a covered member 

24 in a school operated by the Department of Defense Edu25 cation Activity shall be on a tuition-free and space-avail26 able basis. 


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•S 4721 IS

1 ‘‘(c) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

2 ‘‘(1) COVERED MEMBER.—The term ‘covered 

3 member’ means a member of the armed forces who 

4 died while serving on active duty or active Guard 

5 and Reserve duty. 

6 ‘‘(2) SCHOOL OPERATED BY THE DEPARTMENT

7 OF DEFENSE EDUCATION ACTIVITY.—The term 

8 ‘school operated by the Department of Defense Edu9 cation Activity’ means— 

10 ‘‘(A) a Department of Defense domestic 

11 dependent elementary or secondary school es12 tablished under section 2164 of this title; or 

13 ‘‘(B) any elementary or secondary school 

14 for dependents of members of the armed forces 

15 operated by the Department of Defense Edu16 cation Activity.’’. 

17 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

18 at the beginning of chapter 108 of such title is amended 

19 by inserting after the item relating to section 2164a the 

20 following new item: 

‘‘2164b. Eligibility of dependents of certain deceased members for enrollment in 

schools operated by Department of Defense Education Activity.’’. 

21 (c) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec22 tion or the amendments made by this section may be con23 strued to affect the eligibility of dependents of individuals 

24 described in subsection (j)(2) of section 2164 of title 10, 


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•S 4721 IS

1 United States Code, for enrollment in a Department of 

2 Defense education program provided by the Secretary of 

3 Defense pursuant to subsection (a) of that section. 

Æ 


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