115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3897 
AN ACT 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide for the 
issuance of the Gold Star Installation Access Card to 
the surviving spouse, dependent children, and other next 
of kin of a member of the Armed Forces who dies 
while serving on certain active or reserve duty, to ensure 
that a remarried surviving spouse with dependent chil-
dren of the deceased member remains eligible for instal-
lation benefits to which the surviving spouse was pre-
viously eligible, and for other purposes. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Gold Star Family Sup-
port and Installation Access Act of 2017’’. 
SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 
Congress makes the following findings: 
(1) Since World War I, the gold star symbol 
has been used by American families to honor mem-
bers of the Armed Forces who have given their lives 
in service to the Nation. 
(2) Surviving families of deceased members of 
the Armed Forces confront many challenges, often 
made worse by policies that fail to compassionately 
honor the memory of their loved one’s service and 
sacrifice to the Nation. 
(3) There is an obligation to ensure that the 
Gold Star family connections to the military commu-
nity remain an eternal bond providing strength and 
comfort to surviving family members and to those 
still serving. 
(4) Individual military services have recognized 
the need to provide installation access to Gold Star 
families to attend memorial events, visit gravesites, 
and access other benefits for which family members 
are eligible and entitled. 
(5) Surviving families of deceased members of 
the Armed Forces relocate to other parts of the
country, often far away from the service installation 
where their loved one last served. 
(6) Current Department of Defense policy re-
scinds on-base benefits to surviving spouses of de-
ceased service members who remarry, even when de-
pendent children under the guardianship of the sur-
viving spouse remain eligible for benefits, effectively 
rendering these benefits inaccessible by the children 
of the deceased member. 
SEC. 3. ISSUANCE OF GOLD STAR INSTALLATION ACCESS 
CARDS. 
(a) ISSUANCE AND CONDITIONS ON USE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 57 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
section 1126 the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1126a. Gold Star Installation Access Card: issuance 
and protections 
‘‘(a) ISSUANCE TO GOLD STAR SURVIVING SPOUSE 
AND DEPENDENT CHILDREN OF DECEASED MEMBER RE-
QUIRED.—The Secretary concerned shall provide for the 
issuance of a standardized Gold Star Installation Access 
Card to the widow and dependent children of a deceased 
member of the armed forces described in section 1126(a) 
of this title to facilitate their ability to gain unescorted 
access to military installations for the purpose of attend-
ing memorial events, visiting gravesites, and obtaining the 
on-installation services and benefits to which they are enti-
tled or eligible. 
‘‘(b) ISSUANCE TO OTHER NEXT OF KIN AUTHOR-
IZED.—At the discretion of the Secretary concerned, the 
Secretary concerned may provide the Gold Star Installa-
tion Access Card to the parents and other next of kin of 
a deceased member of the armed forces described in sec-
tion 1126(a) of this title. 
‘‘(c) 
SERVICE-WIDE
ACCEPTANCE
OF
ACCESS 
CARD.—The Secretaries concerned shall work together to 
ensure that a Gold Star Installation Access Card issued 
by one armed force is accepted for access to military in-
stallations under the jurisdiction of another armed force. 
‘‘(d) PROTECTION OF INSTALLATION SECURITY.—In 
developing, issuing, and accepting the Gold Star Installa-
tion Access Card, the Secretary concerned may take such 
measures as the Secretary concerned considers nec-
essary— 
‘‘(1) to prevent fraud in the procurement or use 
of the Gold Star Installation Access Card; 
‘‘(2) to limit installation access to those areas 
of the installation that provide the services and ben-
efits for which the recipient of the Gold Star Instal-
lation Access Card is entitled or eligible; and
‘‘(3) to ensure that the availability and use of 
the Gold Star Installation Access Card does not ad-
versely affect military installation security. 
‘‘(e) TERMINATION.—The Gold Star Installation Ac-
cess Card for the widow and dependent children of a de-
ceased member of the armed forces shall remain valid for 
the life of the widow or child, regardless of subsequent 
marital status of the widow, subject to periodic renewal 
as determined by the Secretary concerned to ensure mili-
tary installation security.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 57 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting after 
the item relating to section 1126 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1126a. Gold Star Installation Access Card: issuance and protections.’’. 
(b) APPLICABILITY
OF CURRENT DEFINITIONS.— 
Section 1126(d) of title 10, United States Code is amend-
ed by striking the matter preceding paragraph (1) and in-
serting the following: ‘‘In this section and section 1126a 
of this title:’’. 
SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE BEN-
EFITS FOR REMARRIED SPOUSES WITH DE-
PENDENT CHILDREN. 
(a) BENEFITS.—Section 1062 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended—