[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4043 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4043

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the spouses of 
members of the Armed Forces who are serving in combat or have served in 
      combat through the presentation of an official lapel button.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            November 6, 2009

 Ms. Shea-Porter (for herself and Mr. Jones) introduced the following 
      bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to recognize the spouses of 
members of the Armed Forces who are serving in combat or have served in 
      combat through the presentation of an official lapel button.

    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 ``Military Spouse Pin Act''.

SEC. 2. DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE RECOGNITION OF SPOUSES OF MEMBERS OF THE 
              ARMED FORCES SERVING IN COMBAT.

    (a) Establishment and Presentation of Lapel Button.--Chapter 57 of 
title 10, United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 
1126 the following new section:
``Sec. 1126a. Spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button: eligibility and 
              presentation
    ``(a) Design and Eligibility.--A lapel button, to be known as the 
spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button, shall be designed, as approved 
by the Secretary of Defense, to identify and recognize the spouse of a 
member of the armed forces who is serving in a combat zone for a period 
of more than 30 days.
    ``(b) Presentation.--Under regulations to be prescribed by the 
Secretary of Defense, the Secretary concerned shall present one spouse-
of-a-combat-veteran lapel button without cost to the spouse of a member 
described in subsection (a) as soon as practicable after the member 
completes 30 days of service in a combat zone.
    ``(c) Limitation on Number of Buttons.--(1) Not more than one 
spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button may be presented to the spouse 
of a member, regardless of the number of times the member serves in a 
combat zone.
    ``(2) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if subsequent service by a 
member in a combat zone occurs while the member is married to a 
different spouse, a spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button shall be 
presented to the current spouse under this section.
    ``(3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), if a spouse-of-a-combat-
veteran lapel button presented under this section has been lost, 
destroyed, or rendered unfit for use without fault or neglect on the 
part of the spouse to whom it was furnished, the Secretary concerned 
may replace the lapel button upon application and payment of an amount 
sufficient to cover the cost of manufacture and presentation.
    ``(d) Exception to Time Period Requirement.--The 30-day periods 
specified in subsections (a) and (b) do not apply if the member is 
killed or wounded in the combat zone before the expiration the period.
    ``(e) Combat Zone Defined.--The term `combat zone' has the meaning 
given that term in section 112(c)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
1126 the following new item:

``1126a. Spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button: eligibility and 
                            presentation.''.
    (c) Presentation to Spouses of Veterans of Earlier Conflicts.--
            (1) Availability.--The Secretary of Defense shall make the 
        spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button authorized by section 
        1126a of title 10, United States Code, as added by subsection 
        (a), available to the spouse (including a surviving spouse) of 
        any member of the Armed Forces who served in a combat zone for 
        a period of more than 30 days during World War II, the Korean 
        Conflict, the Vietnam Conflict, or any other period of armed 
        hostilities in which the United States was engaged before the 
        date of the enactment of this Act. The Secretary shall provide 
        a mechanism by which a spouse or surviving spouse of a combat 
        veteran, or a person acting on behalf of a spouse or surviving 
        spouse of a combat veteran, to apply to the Secretary of 
        Defense for a spouse-of-a-combat-veteran lapel button.
            (2) Notification of certain members.--Not later than 60 
        days after the date of the enactment of this Act, the Secretary 
        of Defense shall notify members of the Armed Forces who served 
        in a combat zone for a period of more than 30 days since 
        September 11, 2001, of the availability of the spouse-of-a-
        combat-veteran lapel button under this subsection.
            (3) Limitations and exceptions.--Subsections (c) and (d) of 
        section 1126a of title 10, United States Code, shall apply with 
        respect to the presentation of the spouse-of-a-combat-veteran 
        lapel button under this subsection.
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