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Equal Benefits for Veterans: Recognizing All Lawful Marriages

This bill modifies the definition of spouse and surviving spouse within the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) regulations. It ensures that the VA recognizes all individuals lawfully married, including same-sex couples. This guarantees equal access to benefits and financial support for all eligible veterans and their families.
Key points
The definition of spouse and surviving spouse for veteran benefits is expanded to include all legally married individuals, regardless of sex.
Same-sex spouses and surviving spouses of veterans gain full and explicit access to all VA benefits and programs.
The Department of Veterans Affairs is required to update all internal rules and regulations to comply with this inclusive definition.
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Status:
Expired
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Additional Information
A bill to amend title 38, United States Code, to modify the definition of spouse and surviving spouse to include all individuals lawfully married, and for other purposes.
Print number: S 1314
Sponsor: Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI]
Process start date: 2023-04-26
System Note: Lustra is free, publicly auditable civic infrastructure, with full source code available on GitHub. You are reading sterilized legislative data, processed by our radical neutrality engine to strip political spin and retain factual mechanics. We process only official government data. Original documents remain the authoritative source, always verify them if you can.
Summarized by: gemini-2.5-flash-preview-09-2025
Source data: api.congress.gov
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Summary & Status

Key Questions about Equal Benefits for Veterans: Recognizing All Lawful Marriages

A structured overview of the legislative process, official sources, status and civic context.

What is the official ID of this bill?

The official print number for this legislation is S 1314.

Which chamber initiated this legislation?

This legislation was initiated in the Senate.

When did the legislative process begin?

The process officially started on 2023-04-26.

What are the main provisions?

Key points include:

  • The definition of spouse and surviving spouse for veteran benefits is expanded to include all legally married individuals, regardless of sex.
  • Same-sex spouses and surviving spouses of veterans gain full and explicit access to all VA benefits and programs.
  • The Department of Veterans Affairs is required to update all internal rules and regulations to comply with this inclusive definition.

What is the specific legal status?

The current status is Expired.

Where can I read the full text of this legislation?

The full official text is available at: View full text

Who is the primary sponsor?

The primary sponsor is Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI].

What is the latest detailed status?

The latest detailed status is: Introduced in Senate

Is this summary verified?

Yes. This content was analyzed by AI and verified by the Lustra Judge System on 2025-12-26.

Analysis and Potential Impact of S 1314

We don't know, that is up to you to decide. Summarizing raw data with AI is fundamentally different from predicting socio-economic outcomes. As of 2026, we believe impact assessment strictly requires a human in the loop to verify and judge. Review our public AI processing logs for full transparency, and use Lustra to track active legislation for instant status push notifications.

CATEGORIES

Benefits Family