Honor Gold Star Families Act

119th Congress Introduced by Jacky Rosen and 1 co-sponsor

Increases the base death gratuity from 100,000 to 200,000 for deaths on/after Jan 1, 2026, plus annual COLA tied to CPI-U starting 2027.

Introduced in Senate

Summary of Bill: Honor Gold Star Families Act (S.4807, 118th–119th Congress)

Purpose

The Honor Gold Star Families Act aims to increase the death gratuity payable to families of deceased members of the U.S. Armed Forces and to provide for an annual cost-of-living adjustment (COLA) to that gratuity.

Key Provisions and Changes

Increase in Death Gratuity Amount

Amend Title 10, U.S. Code, Section 1478(a) to raise the base death gratuity from $100,000 to $200,000.
The increase is retroactive to deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026.

Cost-of-Living Adjustment (COLA)

Introduce a new subsection (c) to Section 1478:
- Beginning January 1, 2027, and every January 1 thereafter, the death gratuity amount shall be increased by the percentage difference between:
- The Consumer Price Index for All Urban Consumers (CPI-U) for the preceding calendar year, and
- CPI-U for the year before that preceding calendar year.
- The adjustment, when applied, should be rounded to the nearest $100.
- The Secretary of Defense must annually publish the adjusted death gratuity amount in the Federal Register.

Affected Parties

Families of Deceased Service Members: Primary beneficiaries who would receive the increased death gratuity and subsequent annual COLA.

Active Duty and Other Armed Forces Members: Indirectly affected as potential beneficiaries and as the source of the increased benefit obligation.

Department of Defense (DoD): Responsible for administering, applying, and publishing the annual COLA adjustments.

Timeline and Procedural Details

Effective Date of Increased Amount: Deaths occurring on or after January 1, 2026 will receive the higher base gratuity of $200,000.

COLA Implementation:

First COLA adjustment takes effect on January 1, 2027.
Annual adjustments occur each January 1 thereafter, tied to the CPI-U changes from the prior two-year comparison.
The updated amount must be published in the Federal Register annually by the Secretary of Defense.

Additional Context

The bill is titled the “Honor Gold Star Families Act.”

Introduced in the Senate on June 17, 2026, by Senator Sheehy.

Primary sponsors include Senator Jacky Rosen and Senator Tim Sheehy (co-sponsors).

Potential Impact

Substantially increases support to families after a service member’s death, from $100,000 to $200,000 (plus annual COLA).

Aligns the gratuity with inflation over time to maintain purchasing power for families.

Provides predictable, annual updates through the CPI-U mechanism, reducing the risk of erosion due to inflation.

Requires DoD to consistently publish updated amounts, ensuring transparency and awareness for beneficiaries.