I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 4043 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the spouses of members 
of the Armed Forces who are serving in combat or have served in 
combat through the presentation of an official lapel button. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
NOVEMBER 6, 2009 
Ms. SHEA-PORTER (for herself and Mr. JONES) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the 
spouses of members of the Armed Forces who are serving 
in combat or have served in combat through the presen-
tation of an official lapel button. 
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 ‘‘Military Spouse Pin 
Act’’. 
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SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RECOGNITION OF 
SPOUSES 
OF 
MEMBERS 
OF 
THE 
ARMED 
FORCES SERVING IN COMBAT. 
(a) ESTABLISHMENT AND PRESENTATION OF LAPEL 
BUTTON.—Chapter 57 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 1126 the following new 
section: 
‘‘§ 1126a. Spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button: 
eligibility and presentation 
‘‘(a) DESIGN AND ELIGIBILITY.—A lapel button, to 
be known as the spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button, 
shall be designed, as approved by the Secretary of De-
fense, to identify and recognize the spouse of a member 
of the armed forces who is serving in a combat zone for 
a period of more than 30 days. 
‘‘(b) PRESENTATION.—Under regulations to be pre-
scribed by the Secretary of Defense, the Secretary con-
cerned shall present one spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel 
button without cost to the spouse of a member described 
in subsection (a) as soon as practicable after the member 
completes 30 days of service in a combat zone. 
‘‘(c) LIMITATION ON NUMBER OF BUTTONS.—(1) 
Not more than one spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel but-
ton may be presented to the spouse of a member, regard-
less of the number of times the member serves in a combat 
zone. 
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‘‘(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if subsequent 
service by a member in a combat zone occurs while the 
member is married to a different spouse, a spouse-of-a- 
combat-veteran lapel button shall be presented to the cur-
rent spouse under this section. 
‘‘(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if a spouse-of- 
a-combat-veteran lapel button presented under this section 
has been lost, destroyed, or rendered unfit for use without 
fault or neglect on the part of the spouse to whom it was 
furnished, the Secretary concerned may replace the lapel 
button upon application and payment of an amount suffi-
cient to cover the cost of manufacture and presentation. 
‘‘(d) EXCEPTION TO TIME PERIOD REQUIREMENT.— 
The 30-day periods specified in subsections (a) and (b) 
do not apply if the member is killed or wounded in the 
combat zone before the expiration the period. 
‘‘(e) COMBAT ZONE DEFINED.—The term ‘combat 
zone’ has the meaning given that term in section 112(c)(2) 
of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 1126 the following new 
item: 
‘‘1126a. Spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button: eligibility and presentation.’’. 
(c) PRESENTATION TO SPOUSES OF VETERANS OF 
EARLIER CONFLICTS.— 
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(3) 
LIMITATIONS
AND
EXCEPTIONS.—Sub-
sections (c) and (d) of section 1126a of title 10, 
United States Code, shall apply with respect to the 
presentation of the spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel 
button under this subsection. 
Æ 
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