Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act
Summary
What This Bill Does
The Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act expands access to Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program services. It amends title 38 section 4103A so state Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists may provide intensive employment services not only to eligible veterans but also to eligible persons. The bill defines eligible person to include spouses already described in section 4101(5) and spouses of people who died while members of the Armed Forces. The result is that surviving military spouses, including Gold Star spouses, can receive the same employment counseling, case management, job-search assistance, and priority service infrastructure that disabled veterans' outreach specialists provide.
Who Benefits and How
Gold Star spouses benefit because they become eligible for Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program employment services. Surviving spouses already covered by title 38 section 4101(5) benefit from explicit inclusion in section 4103A service language. State workforce agencies benefit from clearer authority to serve surviving military spouses through existing veterans employment staff. Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists benefit from statutory clarity when serving eligible spouses.
Who Bears the Burden and How
State veterans employment programs must expand eligibility screening, outreach, and service delivery beyond eligible veterans. Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists may see added caseloads for eligible surviving spouses. The DOL Veterans Employment Training Service may need to update guidance, forms, and performance reporting. Federal grant administrators must account for eligible-person services in title 38 employment programs.
Key Provisions
- Amends title 38 section 4103A to include eligible persons alongside eligible veterans.
- Expands Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program services to surviving military spouses.
- Defines eligible person to include section 4101(5) spouses and spouses of service members who died while in the Armed Forces.
- Removes non-veteran-related wording that could limit spouse services.
Evidence Chain:
This summary is generated from the full bill text using AI analysis. Expand "Detailed Analysis" below for identified beneficiaries/burden bearers with clause-level evidence links.
At a Glance
What This Bill Does
Makes Gold Star spouses and other eligible surviving spouses eligible for Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program employment services under title 38.
Key Policy Areas
Veterans, Workforce, Military Families
Primary Purpose
Makes Gold Star spouses and other eligible surviving spouses eligible for Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program employment services under title 38.
Policy Domains
Resolution provisions
Identified Gains
- Gold Star spouses
- Surviving military spouses
- State workforce agencies
- Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists
Identified Costs
- State veterans employment programs
- DOL Veterans Employment Training Service
- Federal grant administrators
Sponsors
Don Bacon
R-NE | Primary Sponsor
Legislative Progress
In CommitteeSubcommittee Hearings Held
Referred to the Subcommittee on Economic Opportunity.
Mr. Bacon introduced the following bill; which was referred to …
Referred to the House Committee on Veterans' Affairs.
Introduced in House
Stakeholder Effects
cui bono?How this legislation distributes effects. Mention counts reflect frequency, not effect magnitude.
DOL Veterans Employment Training Service, Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists, State workforce agencies
Positive-direction: State workforce agencies
Negative-direction: DOL Veterans Employment Training Service, Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program specialists
Bill Structure & Actor Mappings
Who is "The Secretary" in each section?
We use a combination of our own taxonomy and classification in addition to large language models to assess meaning and potential beneficiaries. High confidence means strong textual evidence. Always verify with the original bill text.
Learn more about our methodology