[Congressional Bills 110th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4274 Introduced in House (IH)]







110th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4274

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

                            December 4, 2007

Mr. Walsh of New York 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 of 
2007''.

SEC. 2. SPECIAL PENSION FOR GOLD STAR PARENTS.

    (a) Special Pension.--
            (1) In general.--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) Monthly Payment.--The Secretary shall pay monthly to each 
person who has received a gold star lapel button 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) Amount.--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) Relationship to Other Laws.--The receipt of special pension 
under this section 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 under this section shall be paid in addition to all other 
payments under laws of the United States.
    ``(d) Treatment of Special Pension.--Special pension under this 
section shall not be subject to any attachment, execution, levy, tax 
lien, or detention under any process whatsoever.
    ``(e) Definition of Parent.--For purposes of this section, the term 
`parent' has the meaning provided in section 1126(d)(2) of title 10.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of chapter 15 of such title is amended by adding at 
        the end the following:

          ``subchapter v--special pension for gold star parents

``1571. Gold Star parents.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--
            (1) In general.--Section 1571 of title 38, United States 
        Code, as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on October 
        1, 2007, and apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after 
        that date.
            (2) Retroactive payments.--Not later than 90 days after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Veterans 
        Affairs shall pay to any person who is entitled to a pension 
        under that section by reason of the death of an individual 
        during the period beginning October 1, 2007, and ending on the 
        date of the enactment of this Act, an amount equal to the total 
        amount of pension to which that person is entitled under that 
        section for that period.
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