The Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act passed the U.S. Senate unanimously with provisions championed by Senator Reverend Warnock to help the surviving spouses of fallen servicemembers

Gold Star Spouses are the spouses of servicemembers who died while serving

Bill includes key provisions from Senator Reverend Warnock’s bipartisan Love Lives On Act—comprehensive legislation that would allow spouses of deceased servicemembers to retain survivor benefits upon remarriage

Senator Reverend Warnock secured a provision for surviving spouses to maintain eligibility for education benefits and funding upon remarriage

Senator Reverend Warnock’s passed provisions will also remove the “holds oneself out” provision that penalized former spouses who did not remarry but appeared to be dating someone else, as well as change the definition of surviving spouse to include same sex couples

Legislation now goes to President Biden to be signed into law 

Senator Reverend Warnock: “If one of our heroes loses their life in service to our country, we should honor their sacrifice by ensuring their spouse can retain the military benefits they earned even if they choose to remarry. I’m proud we got these provisions passed, and I’m going to keep fighting for our Gold Star spouses and military families”

Washington, D.C. – U.S. Senator Reverend Raphael Warnock (D-GA) secured critical wins in newly passed legislation allowing surviving spouses of fallen servicemembers to maintain key military benefits. The U.S. Senate unanimously passed the Senator Elizabeth Dole 21st Century Veterans Healthcare and Benefits Improvement Act, legislation that will bolster federal support for veterans, caregivers, and survivors by improving access to VA health care and benefits, expanding long-term care programs, strengthening programs for student veterans and military family members and more. Senator Warnock was instrumental in ensuring key provisions supporting Gold Star Spouses from his bipartisan Love Lives On Act were included in the legislation.

“Our servicemembers and military families are the best among us. They already give so much, and some pay the ultimate price with their lives in service to our nation and freedoms. When tragedy strikes the spouses of fallen servicemembers, it is paramount that our federal government honors their service and provides them the full support they need to rebuild their lives, regardless of who they choose to do so with,” said Senator Reverend Warnock. “If one of our heroes loses their life in service to our country, we should honor their sacrifice by ensuring their spouse can retain the benefits they earned even if they choose to remarry. I’m proud we got these provisions passed, and I’m going to keep fighting for our Gold Star spouses and military families.”

Gold Star Spouses are the spouses of servicemembers who died while serving in the line of duty or because of their military service. Currently, a surviving spouse could lose survivor benefits if they remarry under the age of 55. One of the provisions Senator Warnock secured will allow surviving spouses to maintain eligibility for education benefits upon remarriage. Additionally, the Senator successfully included another provision in the legislation that remove the “holds oneself out” provision that penalized former spouses who did not remarry but appeared to be dating someone else, as well as a provision changing the definition of surviving spouse to include same sex couples.

Since the earliest days of the Congress in April 2023, Senator Warnock has been working to pass his bipartisan Love Lives On Act, comprehensive legislation that would allow spouses of deceased servicemembers to retain survivor benefits upon remarriage. Other provisions from his legislation were previously passed in last year’s defense authorization bill that handles policies and funding levels for our Armed Forces. The provision secured last year restores surviving spouse access to military bases, their commissaries, and their morale, welfare and recreation (MWR) retail stores for those who lost access due to remarriage, ensuring they can maintain their connection to the communities they have sacrificed so much to be a part of. When combined with last year’s provision, Senator Warnock has now passed versions of 3 of the 6 provisions in the bill.

###