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53	53	STATE OF OKLAHOMA
54	54
55	55	2nd Session of the 59th Legislature (2024)
56	56
57	57	SENATE BILL 1201 By: Pugh
58	58
59	59
60	60
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63	63	AS INTRODUCED
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65	65	An Act relating to veterans; enacting the Oklahoma
66	66	Service Lives On Act of 2024; providing short title;
67	67	defining terms; establis hing the Oklahoma veteran’s
68	68	remarried surviving spouse pension; providing for
69	69	qualifications, application , denial, termination, and
70	70	rate calculation; directing promu lgation of rules;
71	71	providing for codification; and p roviding an
72	72	effective date.
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77	77	BE IT ENACTED BY THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF OKLAHOMA:
78	78	SECTION 1. NEW LAW A new section of law to be codified
79	79	in the Oklahoma Statutes as Section 8 of Title 72, unless there is
80	80	created a duplication in numbering , reads as follows:
81	81	A. This section shall be known and may be cited as the
82	82	“Oklahoma Service Lives On Act of 2024”.
83	83	B. As used in this section :
84	84	1. “Federal surviving spouse pension ” means the pension paid by
85	85	the United States Secretary of Veterans Affairs under 38 U.S.C.,
86	86	Section 1541 to the surviving spouse of each veteran of a period of
87	87	war who met the service requirements prescribed in 38 U.S.C.,
88	88	Section 1521(j), or who at the time of death was receiving (or
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140	140	entitled to receive) compensation or retirement pay for a service -
141	141	connected disability;
142	142	2. The terms “period of war” and “veteran” have the same
143	143	meaning as provided by 38 U.S.C., Section 101; and
144	144	3. “Surviving spouse” has the same meaning as provided by 38
145	145	U.S.C., Section 101, except that a person who has remarried or (in
146	146	cases not involving remarriage) has since the death of the veteran,
147	147	and after September 19, 1962, lived with another person and held
148	148	himself or herself out openly to the public to be the spouse of such
149	149	other person, but who meets all other criteria of a surviving spouse
150	150	as defined in 38 U.S.C., Section 101, shall be considered a
151	151	surviving spouse for the limited purpose of qualifying for the
152	152	pension established by this section .
153	153	C. There is hereby established the Oklahoma veteran’s remarried
154	154	surviving spouse pension, which shall be payable by the Oklahoma
155	155	Department of Veterans Affairs to qualifying surviving spouses as
156	156	provided by this section.
157	157	D. The Oklahoma veteran’s remarried surviving spouse pension
158	158	shall be available to surviving spouses residing in this s tate whose
159	159	federal surviving spouse pension has been terminated by the United
160	160	States Department of Veterans Affairs solely on the basis of the
161	161	spouse remarrying or (in cases not involving remarriage) since the
162	162	death of the veteran, and after September 19, 1962, living with
163	163	another person and holding himself or herself out openly to t he
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215	215	public to be the spouse of such other person , but who meet all other
216	216	eligibility criteria for the federal survi ving spouse pension as
217	217	provided by 38 U.S.C., Chapter 15, Subchapter III and 38 C.F.R.,
218	218	Part 3, Subpart A.
219	219	E. The Oklahoma Department of Veterans Affairs shall create an
220	220	application process for the Oklahoma veteran’s remarried surviving
221	221	spouse pension and shall approve surviving spouse applica nts who
222	222	meet the qualifications of subsection D of this section. The
223	223	Department shall deny or terminat e the Oklahoma veteran’s remarried
224	224	surviving spouse pension if the Department finds that a surviving
225	225	spouse applying for or receiving such pension does not meet the
226	226	qualifications of subsection D of this section.
227	227	F. The Oklahoma veteran’s remarried surviving spouse pension
228	228	shall be paid to surviving spouses deemed qualified by the Oklahoma
229	229	Department of Veterans Affairs at the same rate as would be paid to
230	230	the federal surviving spouse pension prescribed by 38 U.S.C.,
231	231	Section 1541, as increased from time to time under 38 U.S.C.,
232	232	Section 5312, and subject to any other adjustments provided by
233	233	federal law or regulation .
234	234	G. The Oklahoma Veterans Commission shall pr omulgate rules to
235	235	implement the provisions of this section.
236	236	SECTION 2. This act shall become effective November 1, 2024.
237	237
238	238	59-2-2330 DC 11/9/2023 11:08:55 AM

Oklahoma 2024 Regular Session

Oklahoma Senate Bill SB1201 Compare Versions