,i  #aacth ,,congress  #ast ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #cefi  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,november #bj1       
#bjac,mr4 ,walz 7for himself1 ,mr4      
,hanna1 ,ms4 ,ros-,lehtinen1 and ,mr4   
,takano7 introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,veterans' ,affairs  ,a ,,bill  ,to     
amend title #ch1 ,united ,states ,code1 
to add a definition of spouse for       
purposes of veteran benefits that       
recognizes new ,state definitions of    
spouse4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act may
 be cited as the ,protecting the        
,freedoms and ,benefits for ,all        
,veterans ,act4  #b4 ,definition of     
spouse for purposes of veteran benefits 
to reflect new ,state definitions of    
spouse  7a7 ,spouse defined ,section    
#aja of title #ch1 ,united ,states      
,code1 is amended-- 7#a7 in paragraph   
7#c71 by striking of the opposite sex2  
and  7#b7 by striking paragraph 7#ca7   
and inserting the following new         
paragraph3  7#ca7 7,a7 ,an individual   

shall be considered a spouse if-- 7i7   
the marriage of the individual is valid 
in the ,state in which the marriage was 
entered into2 or  7ii7 in the case of a 
marriage entered into outside any       
,state-- 7,i7 if the marriage of the    
individual is valid in the place in     
which the marriage was entered into2 and
  7,,ii7 7aa7 the marriage could have   
been entered into in a ,state2 or  7bb7 
the marriage was valid in the place in  
which all parties to the marriage       
resided at the time the marriage was    
entered into4  7,b7 ,in this paragraph1 
the term ,state has the meaning given   
that term in paragraph 7#bj71 except    
that the term also includes the         
,commonwealth of the ,northern ,mariana 
,islands4  4  7b7 ,marriage             
determination ,section #ajc7;c7 of such 
title is amended by striking according  
to and all that follows through the     
period at the end and inserting in      
accordance with section #aja7ca7 of this
 title44