I 111th CONGRESS 1st Session H. R. 4403 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.

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.

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:

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. .