[Congressional Bills 108th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2098 Introduced in House (IH)]







108th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2098

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.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              May 14, 2003

 Mr. McNulty introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Veterans' Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
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 pin 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 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 shall be paid in addition to all other 
payments under laws of the United States.
    ``(d) Special pension 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 the first day of the 
first fiscal year beginning after the date of the enactment of this 
Act.
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