S. 1118Senate116th Congress (2019-2021)In Committee

Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act of 2019

Introduced April 10, 2019

AI-Generated Summary

Updated April 14, 2026 at 4:03 AM UTC

The Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act of 2019 changes the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act so that the spouses of service members who suffer a catastrophic injury or illness, or who die while serving, can end the service member’s lease on a home or vehicle. The new rule gives these spouses a one‑year window to terminate the lease after the injury, illness, or death.

Key Provisions

  • Adds a new provision allowing a spouse to terminate a lease of a residence or motor vehicle within one year of the servicemember’s catastrophic injury or illness that occurs during active duty, Guard, Reserve, or training.
  • Amends the existing death‑related lease‑termination language to apply more broadly, removing a limiting reference and ensuring spouses can terminate leases when the servicemember dies while in service.

Legislative Activity

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1 earlier action
SenateIntro Referral Latest Action

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

April 10, 2019

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SenateIntro Referral

Introduced in Senate

April 10, 2019

SenateIntro Referral

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs.

April 10, 2019

Bill Text

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Introduced in SenateIssued April 10, 2019

II

116th CONGRESS

1st Session

S. 1118

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

April 10, 2019

Ms. Warren (for herself, Mr. Portman, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Tillis, and Mr. Reed) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Veterans' Affairs

A BILL

To amend the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act to authorize spouses of servicemembers who incur a catastrophic injury or illness or die while in military service to terminate leases of premises and motor vehicles, and for other purposes.

1.

Short title

This Act may be cited as the Gold Star Spouses and Spouses of Injured Servicemembers Leasing Relief Expansion Act of 2019.

2.

Termination of leases of premises and motor vehicles of servicemembers who incur catastrophic injury or illness or die while in military service

(a)

Catastrophic injuries and illnesses

Subsection (a) of section 305 of the Servicemembers Civil Relief Act (50 U.S.C. 3955), as amended by section 301 of the Veterans Benefits and Transition Act of 2018 (Public Law 115–407), is further amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:

(4)

Catastrophic injury or illness of lessee

The spouse of the lessee on a lease described in subsection (b) may terminate the lease during the one-year period beginning on the date on which the lessee incurs a catastrophic injury or illness (as that term is defined in section 439(g) of title 37, United States Code), if the lessee incurs the catastrophic injury or illness during a period of military service or while performing full-time National Guard duty, active Guard and Reserve duty, or inactive-duty training (as such terms are defined in section 101(d) of title 10, United States Code).

.

(b)

Deaths

Paragraph (3) of such subsection is amended by striking in subsection (b)(1) and inserting in subsection (b).