118th Congress Armed Forces and National Security
S. 1266: Love Lives On Act of 2023
Introduced
- Introduced (completed)
- Passed Senate (not reached)
- Passed House (not reached)
- To the President (not reached)
- Became law (not reached)
Summary
This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans.
First, the bill removes the expiration on a surviving spouses' entitlement to educational assistance through the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).
The bill also provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation to such spouse.
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Next, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries.
Additionally, the bill provides commissary store and MWR retail facility (e.g., exchange store) access to surviving spouses regardless of the martial status of the spouse. Such spouses must be entitled to use such stores and facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as surviving spouses who did not remarry.
The bill expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
Finally, the bill modifies the definition of a surviving spouse for purposes of veterans benefits to include same sex marriages.
Written by the Congressional Research Service, Library of Congress.
Roll calls
No roll call votes have been held on this bill.
Amendments
No amendments were offered to this bill.
Cosponsors
- Tom Cotton R-AROriginal
- Mazie Hirono D-HIOriginal
- Raphael Warnock D-GAOriginal
- Elizabeth Warren D-MAOriginal
- Jeff Merkley D-OR
- Jacky Rosen D-NV
- Thomas Carper D-DE
- Christopher Coons D-DE
- James David Vance R-OH
- Lisa Murkowski R-AK
- John Hickenlooper D-CO
- John Boozman R-AR
- Brian Schatz D-HI
- Marco Rubio R-FL
- Jeanne Shaheen D-NH
- Roger Marshall R-KS
- Sheldon Whitehouse D-RI
- John Fetterman D-PA
- Mike Rounds R-SD
- Markwayne Mullin R-OK
- Chris Van Hollen D-MD
- Michael Bennet D-CO
- Cory Booker D-NJ
- Margaret Hassan D-NH
- Angus King I-ME
- Jon Ossoff D-GA
- Gary Peters D-MI
- John Cornyn R-TX
- Catherine Cortez Masto D-NV
- Amy Klobuchar D-MN
- Sherrod Brown D-OH
- Alejandro Padilla D-CA
- Robert Casey D-PA
- Benjamin Cardin D-MD
- Martin Heinrich D-NM
- Ted Cruz R-TX
- Christopher Murphy D-CT
- Bernard Sanders I-VT
- Tammy Baldwin D-WI
- Peter Welch D-VT
Who scored on this bill
- 1Jerry Moran SponsorDrew cross-party cosponsors, introduced, reached a cosponsor milestone3 events+12
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Introductions and cosponsorships count toward weekly caps and show no points.
Other bills by Jerry Moran
- S. 2393: Fiscal Year 2025 Veterans Affairs Major Medical Facility Authorization Act
- S. 1318: Foreign Intelligence Accountability Act
- S. 3436: Caring for Veterans and Strengthening National Security Act
- S. 1591: ARCA Act of 2025
- S. 654: To amend title 38, United States Code, to establish an external provider scheduling program to assist the Department of Veterans Affairs in scheduling appointments for care and services under the Veterans Community Care Program, and for other purposes
- S. 2392: Veterans’ Compensation Cost-of-Living Adjustment Act of 2025
History
- Introduced in the Senate by Jerry Moran.
Show the full action history (2 actions)
- Introduced in Senate
- Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.