Bill
HR 1004
Love Lives On Act would stop automatic loss of DIC/SBP benefits for remarried surviving spouses and expand TRICARE eligibility, protecting eligible widows/widowers.
Note: The materials provided include two different measures both labeled “HR 1004.” One is a federal House bill (119th Congress) titled the “Love Lives On Act” proposing changes to Titles 10 and 38 of the U.S. Code to improve benefits for surviving spouses. The other is an Arkansas House Resolution recognizing Lorie Tudor for her service. Summaries of each follow.
Purpose
- Amend Titles 10 and 38, U.S. Code, to improve benefits and services for surviving spouses of service members and veterans, particularly those who remarry.
Key provisions
- Modify 38 U.S.C. §103(d): clarify that remarriage of a surviving spouse does not bar furnishing benefits under 38 U.S.C. §1311 (Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) — basic needs allowance reference) or §1562 (additional benefits) — i.e., remarrying will not automatically terminate certain VA benefits.
- Amend 10 U.S.C. §1450(b)(2) (Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP)):
- Create a rule that the Secretary may not terminate SBP annuities for surviving spouses of members who died on active duty solely because the surviving spouse remarries.
- For spouses who remarried before age 55 and before enactment, require resumption of annuity payments either one year after enactment or immediately after enactment in certain cases where the annuity had been transferred to surviving children under prior law.
- Amend 10 U.S.C. §1072(2) (definition of “dependent” for TRICARE purposes):
- Expand the definition to include a remarried widow or widower whose subsequent marriage ended by death, divorce, or annulment, allowing them to be treated as dependents for TRICARE eligibility.
Who is affected
- Surviving spouses of deceased service members and veterans (especially those who remarry).
- Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) and Department of Defense (DoD) programs administering DIC, SBP, and TRICARE.
- Potentially surviving children where benefits were previously redirected.
Procedural status / timeline (from provided actions)
- Introduced in House: February 5, 2025 (Rep. Richard Hudson primary; numerous bipartisan cosponsors).
- Referred to Armed Services and Veterans’ Affairs Committees; referred to Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs (Mar 6, 2025).
- Placed on calendars and reported; listed actions through May 2025 (adopted/placed on Congratulatory & Memorial Resolutions Calendar; reported enrolled May 24, 2025).
- Companion bill in Senate: S. 410.
Potential impacts / notes
- Restores or preserves benefits to surviving spouses who remarried, including retroactive resumption for some former recipients.
- Expands TRICARE eligibility for some remarried surviving spouses whose later marriages have ended.
- The text does not include an explicit fiscal estimate in the provided excerpt; implementation could have costs to VA/DoD benefit programs.
Purpose
- A state House resolution formally recognizing Lorie Tudor for 41 years of service at the Arkansas Department of Transportation (ARDOT) and her positive impact on the state.
Key content
- Notes Tudor’s career arc: began as a clerk typist, earned a civil engineering degree while working and raising a family, became the first female director of ARDOT in 2020.
- Highlights major contributions: systems improvements (cash forecast system), leadership during the Hernando de Soto Bridge closure, departmental reorganization, and initiation of the ARDOT Fallen Worker Memorial.
- Lists honors she received (e.g., University of Arkansas Academy of Civil Engineering induction 2018, AASHTO Alfred E. Johnson Award 2019, AGC SIR Award 2024).
- Resolved that the Arkansas House recognizes Director Lorie Tudor and requests a copy of the resolution be provided to her.
Who is affected
- Lorie Tudor, Arkansas Department of Transportation, and the state’s recognition/record of public service.
Procedural status / timeline (state-level)
- Filed Jan 14, 2025; Amendment adopted Jan 27, 2025; Read and adopted Jan 29, 2025.
- Sponsored in Arkansas House by Representative J. Mayberry with many co-sponsors; upon adoption a copy is to be provided to Director Tudor.
If you want, I can:
- Produce a short one-paragraph brief suitable for a press release.
- Extract and format the exact statutory text changes for legal review.
- Summarize fiscal implications and likely administrative steps for implementation of the federal bill.
Compiled from official sources — confirm details with the bill’s official record.
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