I
119THCONGRESS
1
STSESSION H. R. 1004
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve benefits and
services for surviving spouses, and for other purposes.
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
FEBRUARY5, 2025
Mr. H
UDSON(for himself, Mr. NEGUSE, Mr. VANORDEN, Ms. MORRISON,
Mr. L
UTTRELL, and Mr. KHANNA) introduced the following bill; which
was referred to the Committee on Armed Services, and in addition to the
Committee on Veterans’ Affairs, for a period to be subsequently deter-
mined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions
as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned
A BILL
To amend titles 10 and 38, United States Code, to improve
benefits and services for surviving spouses, and for other
purposes.
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-1
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Love Lives On Act 4
of 2025’’. 5
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SEC. 2. MODIFICATION OF ENTITLEMENT TO VETERANS 1
DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY COMPENSA-2
TION FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES WHO RE-3
MARRY. 4
Section 103(d) of title 38, United States Code, is 5
amended— 6
(1) in paragraph (2)(B)— 7
(A) by inserting ‘‘(i)’’ before ‘‘The remar-8
riage’’; 9
(B) in clause (i), as designated by subpara-10
graph (A), by striking ‘‘Notwithstanding the 11
previous sentence’’ and inserting the following: 12
‘‘(ii) Notwithstanding clause (i)’’; and 13
(C) by adding at the end the following new 14
clause: 15
‘‘(iii) Notwithstanding clause (ii), the remarriage of 16
a surviving spouse shall not bar the furnishing of benefits 17
under section 1311 or 1562 of this title to the surviving 18
spouse of a veteran.’’; and 19
(2) in paragraph (5)— 20
(A) by striking subparagraph (A); and 21
(B) by renumbering subparagraphs (B) 22
through (E) as subparagraphs (A) through (D), 23
respectively. 24
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SEC. 3. CONTINUED ELIGIBILITY FOR SURVIVOR BENEFIT 1
PLAN FOR CERTAIN SURVIVING SPOUSES 2
WHO REMARRY. 3
Section 1450(b)(2) of title 10, United States Code, 4
is amended— 5
(1) by striking ‘‘An annuity’’ and inserting the 6
following: 7
‘‘(A) I
N GENERAL.—(A) Subject to sub-8
paragraph (B), an annuity’’; and 9
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-10
paragraph: 11
‘‘(B) T
REATMENT OF SURVIVORS OF MEM -12
BERS WHO DIE ON ACTIVE DUTY .—The Sec-13
retary may not terminate payment of an annu-14
ity for a surviving spouse described in subpara-15
graph (A) or (B) of section 1448(d)(1) solely 16
because that surviving spouse remarries. In the 17
case of a surviving spouse who remarried before 18
reaching age 55 and before the date of the en-19
actment of Love Lives On Act of 2025, the Sec-20
retary shall resume payment of the annuity to 21
that surviving spouse— 22
‘‘(i) except as provided by clause (ii), 23
for each month that begins on or after the 24
date that is one year after such date of en-25
actment; or 26
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‘‘(ii) on the first day of the first 1
month beginning after such date of enact-2
ment, in the case of a surviving spouse 3
who elected to transfer payment of that 4
annuity to a surviving child or children 5
under the provisions of section 6
1448(d)(2)(B) of title 10, United States 7
Code, as in effect on December 31, 2019.’’. 8
SEC. 4. EXPANSION OF DEFINITION OF DEPENDENT UNDER 9
TRICARE PROGRAM TO INCLUDE A REMAR-10
RIED WIDOW OR WIDOWER WHOSE SUBSE-11
QUENT MARRIAGE HAS ENDED. 12
Section 1072(2) of title 10, United States Code, is 13
amended— 14
(1) in subparagraph (H), by striking ‘‘; and’’ 15
and inserting a semicolon; 16
(2) in subparagraph (I)(v), by striking the pe-17
riod at the end and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 18
(3) by adding at the end the following new sub-19
paragraph: 20
‘‘(J) a remarried widow or widower whose 21
subsequent marriage has ended due to death, 22
divorce, or annulment.’’. 23
Æ
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