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.

June 24, 2004

Mrs. CLINTON introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

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 Representatives of the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the `Gold Star Parents Annuity Act'.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL PENSION FOR GOLD STAR PARENTS.

(a) IN GENERAL- (1) 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

`Sec. 1571. Gold Star parents

`(a) 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) The amount of special pension payable 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) 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 entitled under any existing or subsequent law. Special pension under this section shall be paid in addition to all other payments under laws of the United States.

`(d) Special pension under this section shall not be subject to any attachment, execution, levy, tax lien, or detention under any process whatever.

`(e) For purposes of this section, the term `parent' has the meaning provided in section 1126(d)(2) of title 10.'.

(2) The table of sections at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding at the end the following:

`subchapter v--special pension for gold star parents

`1571. Gold Star parents.'.

(b) EFFECTIVE DATE- Section 1571 of title 38, United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on October 1, 2004.

END