[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4403 Introduced in House (IH)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4403

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available 
   travel on military aircraft for unremarried surviving spouses of 
retired members of the uniformed services and the unremarried surviving 
 spouses of veterans who died from a service-connected or compensable 
          disability, and for the dependents of such spouses.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           December 16, 2009

    Mr. Walz (for himself, Mr. Bartlett, Mr. Buyer, and Mr. Filner) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                             Armed Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to authorize space-available 
   travel on military aircraft for unremarried surviving spouses of 
retired members of the uniformed services and the unremarried surviving 
 spouses of veterans who died from a service-connected or compensable 
          disability, and for the dependents of such spouses.

    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 ``Securing Patriots Access to 
Convenient and Economic Air Travel Act of 2009'' or ``SPACE-A Travel 
Act of 2009''.

SEC. 2. ELIGIBILITY OF UNREMARRIED SURVIVING SPOUSES OF DECEASED 
              RETIRED MEMBERS AND CERTAIN OTHER VETERANS FOR SPACE-
              AVAILABLE TRAVEL ON MILITARY AIRCRAFT.

    (a) Eligibility.--Chapter 157 of title 10, United States Code, is 
amended by inserting after section 2641b the following new section:
``Sec. 2641c. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: 
              unremarried surviving spouses of deceased retired members 
              and certain other veterans; dependents
    ``(a) Unremarried Surviving Spouses.--(1) The unremarried surviving 
spouse of a retired member of the uniformed services shall be provided 
transportation on Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-available 
basis, on the same basis as a spouse of a retired member.
    ``(2) The unremarried surviving spouse of a former member of the 
uniformed services who is entitled to dependency and indemnity 
compensation under section 1311 of title 38 shall be provided 
transportation on Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-available 
basis, on the same basis as a spouse of a retired member. The Secretary 
of Defense, in consultation with the Secretary of Veterans Affairs, 
shall develop an effective method to identify surviving spouses 
eligible for transportation under this paragraph.
    ``(b) Dependents.--The dependent of a surviving spouse described in 
subsection (a) who is accompanied by the surviving spouse shall be 
provided transportation on Department of Defense aircraft, on a space-
available basis, on the same basis as the surviving spouse.
    ``(c) Exception To Sponsor Accompaniment Requirement.--The 
requirement that dependents of a retired member be accompanied by the 
sponsoring member in order to receive space-available transportation 
shall not apply to transportation provided under this section.''.
    (b) Clerical Amendment.--The table of sections at the beginning of 
such chapter is amended by inserting after the item relating to section 
2641b the following new item:

``2641c. Space-available travel on Department of Defense aircraft: 
                            unremarried surviving spouses of deceased 
                            retired members and certain other veterans; 
                            dependents.''.
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