I 
115TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 3897 
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 children of the de-
ceased member remains eligible for installation benefits to which the 
surviving spouse was previously eligible, and for other purposes. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
OCTOBER 2, 2017 
Mr. BACON (for himself, Mr. RUSSELL, Mr. MAST, Mr. CARBAJAL, Mr. PA-
NETTA, Mr. MOULTON, Mr. BROWN of Maryland, Ms. MCSALLY, and Mr. 
DUNN) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 
on Armed Services 
A BILL 
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. 
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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, 
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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; 
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‘‘(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:’’. 
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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— 
(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 
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(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(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.’’. 
Æ 
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