HR 3897 RFS
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-
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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 
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‘‘(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— 
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(1) by striking ‘‘The Secretary of Defense’’ and 
inserting the following: 
‘‘(a) CERTAIN UNREMARRIED FORMER SPOUSES.— 
The Secretary of Defense’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) CERTAIN REMARRIED SURVIVING SPOUSES.— 
The Secretary of Defense shall prescribe such regulations 
as may be necessary to provide that a surviving spouse 
of a deceased member of the armed forces, regardless of 
the marital status of the surviving spouse, who has guard-
ianship of dependent children of the deceased member is 
entitled to use commissary stores and MWR retail facili-
ties to the same extent and on the same basis as the 
unremarried surviving spouse of a member of the uni-
formed services.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.—Section 1062 of 
title 10, United States Code, is further amended— 
(1) by striking ‘‘commissary and exchange 
privileges’’ and inserting ‘‘use commissary stores 
and MWR retail facilities’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
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‘‘(c) MWR RETAIL FACILITIES.—The term ‘MWR 
retail facilities’ has the meaning given that term in section 
1063(e) of this title.’’. 
(c) CLERICAL AMENDMENTS.— 
(1) SECTION HEADING.—The heading of section 
1062 of title 10, United States Code, is amended to 
read as follows: 
‘‘§ 1062. 
Certain 
former 
spouses 
and 
surviving 
spouses’’. 
(2) TABLE OF SECTIONS.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 54 of title 10, United 
States Code, is amended by striking the item relat-
ing to section 1062 and inserting the following new 
item: 
‘‘1062. Certain former spouses and surviving spouses.’’. 
Passed the House of Representatives November 7, 
2017. 
Attest: 
KAREN L. HAAS, 
Clerk. 
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