Don Bacon (R-NE)
Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act
A Republican bill with 1 Democratic cosponsor · See the cosponsor
Last activity — Subcommittee Hearings Held
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
This bill, titled the "Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act," seeks to amend title 38 of the United States Code. The primary goal is to expand the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program. Specifically, it aims to make certain spouses eligible for services under this program. The amendment includes definitions for "eligible person" to include specific spouses. This includes spouses described in section 4101(5) and the spouse of any person who died while a member of the Armed Forces.
Yes
- Scored +5
Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive?
The bill expands the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program to include certain spouses and surviving spouses of deceased service members.
- Scored +4
Would women be better off under this?
The bill provides career services to spouses, a demographic that includes many women, particularly those of deceased service members.
- Scored +3
Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together?
The bill provides career service support to the surviving spouses of veterans, which can support the veteran's family legacy.
The opposite
No question was scored the opposite.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Expanded Service Eligibility: The bill amends section 4103A to include "eligible persons" alongside eligible veterans, which allows spouses to access services under the disabled veterans' outreach program (Section 2).
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Inclusion of Surviving Spouses: By defining an "eligible person" to include the spouse of any person who died while a member of the Armed Forces, the bill provides access to services for those left behind (Section 2, subsection e).
-
Inclusion of Certain Spouses: The bill expands eligibility to include any spouse described in section 4101(5) of title 38 (Section 2, subsection e).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
- No negative impacts are explicitly stated in the provided text.
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would women be better off under this? — The bill provides career services to spouses, a demographic that includes many women, particularly those of deceased service members. Would veterans be better off under this, taking everything together? — The bill provides career service support to the surviving spouses of veterans, which can support the veteran's family legacy.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this increase the pay, pensions or support veterans receive? — The bill expands the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program to include certain spouses and surviving spouses of deceased service members.
- 7/23/2025
- 1 Cosponsor added.
- 6/11/2025
- Subcommittee Hearings Held
- 5/12/2025
- Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
- 4/28/2025
- Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
- Introduced in House
One bill Congress.gov lists as related to this one — companions in the other chamber, earlier versions, and bills this one absorbed or was folded into.
Joe NeguseDemocrat · Colorado