Title: Gold Star Family Support and Installation Access Act of 2017
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Gold Star Family Support and Installation Access Act of 2017
This bill directs the appropriate military department to issue a standardized Gold Star Installation Access Card to the widow and dependent children of a deceased member of the Armed Forces to allow them to gain unescorted access to military installations to attend memorial events, visit gravesites, and obtain on-installation services and benefits.
The Department of Defense shall prescribe regulations to provide that a surviving spouse of a deceased member, regardless of martial status, who has guardianship of dependent children of the deceased member, is entitled to use commissary stores and MWR retail facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as the unremarried spouse of a member of the uniformed services.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3897 Introduced in House (IH)]

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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 
deceased 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. 
Panetta, 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 children of the 
deceased member remains eligible for installation benefits to which the 
   surviving spouse was previously eligible, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Gold Star Family Support 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 members 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 community 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 rescinds on-base 
        benefits to surviving spouses of deceased service members who 
        remarry, even when dependent children under the guardianship of 
        the surviving 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:
``Sec. 1126a. Gold Star Installation Access Card: issuance and 
              protections
    ``(a) Issuance to Gold Star Surviving Spouse and Dependent Children 
of Deceased Member Required.--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 attending memorial events, visiting gravesites, and 
obtaining the on-installation services and benefits to which they are 
entitled or eligible.
    ``(b) Issuance to Other Next of Kin Authorized.--At the discretion 
of the Secretary concerned, the Secretary concerned may provide the 
Gold Star Installation Access Card to the parents and other next of kin 
of a deceased member of the armed forces described in section 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 installations under the jurisdiction of another armed force.
    ``(d) Protection of Installation Security.--In developing, issuing, 
and accepting the Gold Star Installation Access Card, the Secretary 
concerned may take such measures as the Secretary concerned considers 
necessary--
            ``(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 benefits for which 
        the recipient of the Gold Star Installation Access Card is 
        entitled or eligible; and
            ``(3) to ensure that the availability and use of the Gold 
        Star Installation Access Card does not adversely affect 
        military installation security.
    ``(e) Termination.--The Gold Star Installation Access Card for the 
widow and dependent children of a deceased 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 military installation 
security.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections 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 amended by striking the matter preceding 
paragraph (1) and inserting the following: ``In this section and 
section 1126a of this title:''.

SEC. 4. EXTENSION OF COMMISSARY AND EXCHANGE BENEFITS FOR REMARRIED 
              SPOUSES WITH DEPENDENT 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 subsection:
    ``(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 
guardianship of dependent children of the deceased member is entitled 
to use commissary stores and MWR retail facilities to the same extent 
and on the same basis as the unremarried surviving spouse of a member 
of the uniformed 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 subsection:
    ``(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:
``Sec. 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 relating to section 1062 and 
        inserting the following new item:

``1062. Certain former spouses and surviving spouses.''.
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