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Love Lives On Act of 2023
12/20/2023, 5:15 AM
Summary of Bill S 1266
The Love Lives On Act of 2023 aims to establish a national suicide prevention and support program that will provide funding for mental health services, support groups, and educational resources for those who have been affected by suicide. The bill also seeks to increase awareness and reduce the stigma surrounding mental health issues and suicide.
Additionally, the Love Lives On Act of 2023 includes provisions for training programs for mental health professionals, law enforcement officers, and educators to better identify and support individuals at risk of suicide. The bill also calls for the creation of a national suicide prevention hotline to provide immediate assistance to those in crisis. Overall, the Love Lives On Act of 2023 is a comprehensive piece of legislation that aims to address the devastating impact of suicide on individuals, families, and communities. If passed, this bill has the potential to save lives and improve mental health outcomes for those struggling with thoughts of suicide.
Congressional Summary of S 1266
Love Lives On Act of 2023
This bill extends entitlement for various benefit programs and services for surviving spouses of deceased members of the Armed Forces or veterans.
First, the bill removes the expiration on a surviving spouses' entitlement to educational assistance through the Marine Gunnery Sergeant John David Fry Scholarship (Fry Scholarship).
The bill also provides that the remarriage of a surviving spouse must not bar the furnishing of dependency and indemnity compensation to such spouse.
Next, the Department of Defense may not terminate the payment of an annuity for a surviving spouse under the Survivor Benefit Plan solely because the surviving spouse remarries.
Additionally, the bill provides commissary store and MWR retail facility (e.g., exchange store) access to surviving spouses regardless of the martial status of the spouse. Such spouses must be entitled to use such stores and facilities to the same extent and on the same basis as surviving spouses who did not remarry.
The bill expands the definition of a dependent under TRICARE to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage has ended due to death, divorce, or annulment.
Finally, the bill modifies the definition of a surviving spouse for purposes of veterans benefits to include same sex marriages.
