I
113th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 2529
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
June 27, 2013
Ms. Titus (for herself and Mr. Smith of Washington) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs
A BILL
To amend title 38, United States Code, to amend the
definition of the term spouse
to recognize new State definitions
of such term for the purpose of the laws administered by the Secretary of
Veterans Affairs.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the
Veteran Spouses Equal Treatment
Act
.
Definition of spouse for purposes of veteran benefits to reflect new state definitions of spouse
Section 101 of title 38, United States Code, is amended—
in paragraph (3),
by striking of the opposite sex
; and
by striking paragraph (31) and inserting the following new paragraph:
Notwithstanding section 7 of title 1, an individual shall be considered a spouse if the marriage of the individual is valid in the State in which the marriage was entered into or, in the case of a marriage entered into outside any State, if the marriage is valid in the place in which the marriage was entered into and the marriage could have been entered into in a State. In this paragraph, the term State has the meaning given that term in paragraph (20), except that the term also includes the Commonwealth of the Northern Mariana Islands.
.