I 
110TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4274 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the payment of 
a monthly stipend to the surviving parents (known as ‘‘Gold Star par-
ents’’) of members of the Armed Forces who die during a period of 
war. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 4, 2007 
Mr. WALSH of New York introduced the following bill; which was referred to 
the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 
A BILL 
To amend title 38, United States Code, to provide for the 
payment of a monthly stipend to the surviving parents 
(known as ‘‘Gold Star parents’’) of members of the 
Armed Forces who die during a period of war. 
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 Parents An-
nuity Act of 2007’’. 
SEC. 2. SPECIAL PENSION FOR GOLD STAR PARENTS. 
(a) SPECIAL PENSION.— 
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(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 15 of title 38, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subchapter: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—SPECIAL PENSION FOR GOLD 
STAR PARENTS 
‘‘§ 1571. Gold Star parents 
‘‘(a) MONTHLY PAYMENT.—The Secretary shall pay 
monthly to each person who has received a gold star lapel 
button under section 1126 of title 10 as a parent of a 
person who died in a manner described in subsection (a) 
of that section a special pension in an amount determined 
under subsection (b). 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT.—The amount of special pension pay-
able under this section with respect to the death of any 
person shall be $125 per month. In any case in which 
there is more than one parent eligible for special pension 
under this section with respect to the death of a person, 
the Secretary shall divide the payment equally among 
those eligible parents. 
‘‘(c) RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER LAWS.—The receipt 
of special pension under this section shall not deprive any 
person of any other pension or other benefit, right, or 
privilege to which such person is or may hereafter be enti-
tled under any existing or subsequent law. Special pension 
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under this section shall be paid in addition to all other 
payments under laws of the United States. 
‘‘(d) TREATMENT
OF SPECIAL PENSION.—Special 
pension under this section shall not be subject to any at-
tachment, execution, levy, tax lien, or detention under any 
process whatsoever. 
‘‘(e) DEFINITION OF PARENT.—For purposes of this 
section, the term ‘parent’ has the meaning provided in sec-
tion 1126(d)(2) of title 10.’’. 
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of chapter 15 of such title is 
amended by adding at the end the following: 
‘‘SUBCHAPTER V—SPECIAL PENSION FOR GOLD STAR PARENTS 
‘‘1571. Gold Star parents.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.— 
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Section 1571 of title 38, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), 
shall take effect on October 1, 2007, and apply with 
respect to deaths occurring on or after that date. 
(2) RETROACTIVE PAYMENTS.—Not later than 
90 days after the date of the enactment of this Act, 
the Secretary of Veterans Affairs shall pay to any 
person who is entitled to a pension under that sec-
tion by reason of the death of an individual during 
the period beginning October 1, 2007, and ending on 
the date of the enactment of this Act, an amount 
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equal to the total amount of pension to which that 
person is entitled under that section for that period. 
Æ 
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