,i  #aacth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #dfhh  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,may #bj1 #bjad ,mr4 
,keating introduced the following bill2 
which was referred to the ,committee on 
,armed ,services  ,a ,,bill  ,to amend  
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 to    
provide appropriate recognition for the 
survivors of members of the ,armed      
,forces who die while serving on certain
 active or reserve duty1 to expand the  
availability of the ,gold ,star         
,installation ,access ,card for         
survivors of deceased members of the    
,armed ,forces1 and to extend commissary
 store and exchange store and other     
,,mwr retail facility benefits to the   
parents of such members4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,gold ,star ,families ,equality ,act4   
#b4 ,lapel button for next of kin of    
deceased members of the ,armed ,forces  
7a7 ,service-,wide adoption of next of  
kin lapel button ,section #aabf of title
 #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is         

amended--  7#a7 by striking subsection  
7b72  7#b7 by redesignating subsections 
7c7 and 7d7 as subsections 7d7 and 7e71 
respectively2 and  7#c7 by inserting    
after subsection 7a7 the following new  
subsections3  7b7 ,a lapel button1 to be
 known as the lapel button for next of  
kin of deceased members of the armed    
forces1 shall be designed1 as approved  
by the ,secretary of ,defense1 to       
identify widows1 parents1 and next of   
kin of members of the armed forces who  
die1 under circumstances not prescribed 
by subsection 7a71 while serving on     
active duty or while assigned to a      
reserve component in a drill status4    
7c7 ,under regulations to be prescribed 
by the ,secretary of ,defense1 the      
,secretary concerned1 upon application  
to the ,secretary1 shall furnish--  7#a7
 one gold star lapel button without cost
 to the widow and to each parent and    
next of kin of a member who lost or     
loses his or her life under any         
circumstances prescribed in subsection  

7a72 and  7#b7 one lapel button for next
 of kin of deceased members to the widow
 and to each parent and next of kin of a
 member who lost or loses his or her    
life under the circumstances prescribed 
in subsection 7b74  4  7b7 ,conforming  
amendments ,subsection 7d7 of section   
#aabf of title #aj1 ,united ,states     
,code1 as redesignated by subsection    
7a77#b71 is amended by inserting or     
lapel button for next of kin of deceased
 members after gold star lapel button   
both places it appears4  7c7 ,use of    
existing design ,the design of the lapel
 button for the next of kin of deceased 
members of the ,armed ,forces required  
by subsection 7b7 of section #aabf of   
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a77#c71 shall be   
based on the design of such a lapel     
button provided by the ,secretary of the
 ,army to certain survivors of deceased 
members of the ,army1 including the     
,army ,reserve and the ,army ,national  
,guard1 pursuant to ,army regulation    

#fjj-f-ah1 as in effect on the date of  
the enactment of this ,act4  7d7        
,retroactive availability ,the lapel    
button for the next of kin of deceased  
members of the ,armed ,forces required  
by subsection 7b7 of section #aabf of   
title #aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 as    
added by subsection 7a77#c71 shall be   
available to provide appropriate        
recognition for the survivors of members
 of the ,armed ,forces who have died    
since ,september #aj1 #bjja4  #c4 ,gold 
,star ,installation ,access ,card  7a7  
,service-,wide adoption of access card  
,the ,secretary of each military        
department and the ,secretary of the    
,department in which the ,coast ,guard  
is operating 7in this section referred  
to as the ,secretary concerned7 shall   
provide for the issuance of a ,gold     
,star ,installation ,access ,card to    
,gold ,star family members who are the  
survivors of deceased members of the    
,armed ,forces under the jurisdiction of
 the ,secretary concerned to expedite   

the ability of a ,gold ,star family     
member to gain unescorted access to     
military installations for the purpose  
of obtaining the on-base services and   
benefits for which the ,gold ,star      
family member is entitled or eligible4  
7b7 ,service-,wide acceptance of access 
card ,the ,secretaries concerned shall  
work jointly to ensure that a ,gold     
,star ,installation ,access ,card issued
 to a ,gold ,star family member by one  
,armed ,force is accepted for access to 
military installations of another ,armed
 ,force4  7c7 ,protection of            
installation security ,in developing1   
issuing1 and accepting the ,gold ,star  
,installation ,access ,card1 the        
,secretary concerned may take such      
measures as the ,secretary concerned    
considers necessary--  7#a7 to prevent  
fraud in the procurement or use of the  
,gold ,star ,installation ,access ,card2
  7#b7 to limit installation access to  
those areas that provide the services   
and benefits for which the ,gold ,star  

family member is entitled or eligible2  
and  7#c7 to ensure that the            
availability and use of the ,gold ,star 
,installation ,access ,card does not    
adversely affect military installation  
security4  7d7 ,implementation ,not     
later than #ahj days after the date of  
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretaries concerned shall complete   
implementation of this section4  7e7    
,gold ,star family member defined ,in   
this section1 the term ,gold ,star      
family member means a person who has    
received a ,gold ,star ,lapel ,button or
 a ,lapel ,button for the ,next of ,kin 
of ,deceased ,members of the ,armed     
,forces under section #aabf of title    
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code4  #d4 ,use of
 commissary stores and ,,mwr retail     
facilities by parents of deceased       
members of the ,armed ,forces  7a7 ,use 
authorized ,the ,secretary of each      
military department and the ,secretary  
of the ,department in which the ,coast  
,guard is operating shall prescribe such

 regulations as may be necessary to     
ensure that a parent of a deceased      
member of the ,armed ,forces who        
receives a ,gold ,star ,lapel ,button or
 a ,lapel ,button for the ,next of ,kin 
of ,deceased ,members of the ,armed     
,forces under section #aabf of title    
#aj1 ,united ,states ,code1 is permitted
 to use commissary stores and ,,mwr     
retail facilities on the same basis as  
any surviving spouse or child of the    
member4  7b7 ,definitions ,in this      
section3  7#a7 ,the term ,,mwr retail   
facilities means exchange stores and    
other revenue generating facilities     
operated by nonappropriated fund        
activities of the ,department of        
,defense or the department in which the 
,coast ,guard is operating for the      
morale1 welfare1 and recreation of      
members of the ,armed ,forces4  7#b7    
,the term parent includes mother1       
father1 stepmother1 stepfather1 mother  
through adoption1 father through        
adoption1 or foster parent who stood in 

loco parentis4