Noteboom The Law Firm

U.S. Senate Passes Gold Star Parents Bill

September 29, 2010 - U.S. Congressman Mac Thornberry (TX-13) sponsored a bill that, if passed, would help parents who have lost a child while serving in the military receive care. The bill would give these parents more access to State Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) veterans' homes. On June 30, 2010, the U.S. House of Representatives unanimously passed the legislation. Senators John Ensign (R-NV) and Sherrod Brown (D-OH) co-sponsored the Senate's version of the Gold Star Parents Bill (S. 1450).

This bill will give peace of mind to soldiers as they go to war. Going into deployment, those soldiers will know their country will take care of their parents in the event that the worst should happen. Gold Star parents are those that have lost a child in war. The current regulations only allow parents to receive care in a VA home if all of their children died while in military service.

The Gold Star Parents Bill will change federal law to provide care for any parent as long as they have lost at least one child in service to this country. There are 137 State veterans' homes across the nation and Puerto Rico. They play a vital role in supporting veterans and their dependents with health care.

The VA funds these state veterans' homes based on an annually adjusted rate that accounts for the per-day-cost for every veteran living in the home. The VA does not however, pay anything to state homes for supporting Gold Star Parents. Therefore, this bill will not cause additional financial burdens on the federal VA.