S 1314 United States Senate · 118th Congress

A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the definition of spouse and surviving spouse to include all individuals lawfully married, and for other purposes.

This bill (S 1314) changes the definition of "spouse" and "surviving spouse" under veterans' benefits law to remove gender restrictions. It ensures that all individuals lawfully married to a veteran - regardless of gender, including same-sex marriages - are recognized for VA benefits like survivor pensions. The bill requires the Department of Veterans Affairs to update all relevant regulations to reflect this change. It directly affects veterans and their spouses in same-sex marriages who were previously excluded from certain benefits due to outdated definitions.
Bill status in committee 1 of 4 stages cleared
Introduction
Apr 2023
Committee Review
Floor Vote
President
Introduced Apr 26, 2023 Last action Apr 26, 2023
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Total actions
2
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0
Committee
1
Apr 26, 2023
Committee
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
upper
Apr 26, 2023
Introduced
Introduced in Senate
upper
1 primary · 3 co-sponsors

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