The Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act expands the disabled veterans outreach program to include spouses and surviving spouses of deceased service members.
Margaret "Maggie" Hassan
Senator
NH
The Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act amends title 38 of the United States Code to expand eligibility for the disabled veterans outreach program. This expansion includes spouses and surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces. These individuals will now have access to career services under this program.
Career Program Access Expanded for Military Spouses and Survivors Under New Act
This legislation, titled the 'Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act,' directly expands eligibility for an existing federal program. Specifically, it amends Section 4103A of title 38, United States Code, to allow more military family members access to the Disabled Veterans Outreach Program (DVOP). The core purpose is to open up career counseling, job training, and placement services currently offered through DVOP to spouses who often face unique employment hurdles.
Opening Doors to Job Support
So, who exactly gets access under this change? The bill widens the DVOP net to include two key groups:
- Spouses of certain disabled veterans: This refers to spouses described in section 4101(5) of title 38, connecting them to DVOP resources.
- Surviving spouses: This includes the spouse of any service member who died while serving in the Armed Forces, often referred to as Gold Star spouses.
Before this act, DVOP services were primarily focused on veterans with service-connected disabilities. Now, individuals like the spouse managing the household while their veteran partner navigates disability, or the surviving spouse rebuilding their life and career after loss, can tap into these specialized employment services. It's about extending a hand to family members directly impacted by military service and sacrifice, offering them concrete tools to find or maintain meaningful employment.