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H.R. 4688: Gold Star Families Equality Act

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H.R. 4688: Gold Star Families Equality Act

113th Congress · introduced 2014-05-20 · Armed Forces and National Security · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2014-05-20 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Military Personnel. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Gold Star Families Equality Act

Plain summary

Gold Star Families Equality Act - Requires a lapel button to be designed to identify widows, parents, and next of kin of members of the Armed Forces who die, under circumstances not already prescribed for under existing eligibility standards for a gold star lapel button, while serving on active duty or while assigned to a reserve component in a drill status. Makes such next of kin button available retroactively to survivors of members of the Armed Forces who have died since September 10, 2001. Directs the Secretary of each military department and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating to provide for the issuance of a Gold Star Installation Access Card to family members with gold or next of kin buttons to expedite their ability to gain unescorted access to military installations for the purpose of obtaining on-base services and benefits. Requires regulations to be prescribed to permit parents (including stepparents, parents though adoption, or foster parents who stood in loco parentis) with such buttons to use commissary stores and other military retail facilities on the same basis as surviving spouses or children.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Gold Star Families Equality Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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The strongest published arguments

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Alternatives

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] · 0 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Keating, William R. [D-MA-9] reported raising $553,690 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)
Rulemaking
The process agencies use to write regulations that carry out laws passed by Congress or a legislature. Usually an agency publishes a proposed rule, takes public comments, then publishes a final rule.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong113-hr4688 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong113 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong113