Chairman Moran Applauds Committee Passage of Key Priorities for Veterans, Servicemembers & Survivors

WASHINGTON - U.S. Senator Jerry Moran (Kan.) - chairman of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs - today led the committee in passing 24 pieces of legislation to improve the lives of veterans, caregivers and survivors across the country. These bills include several of Sen. Moran's legislative priorities for veterans, including the Love Lives On Act, the Guard/Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act, the Veterans Prosthetics Advancement and Reform Act and the Fisher House Availability Act.

"The bipartisan pieces of legislation that have now passed out of the Senate Committee on Veterans' Affairs are crucial to the success of the Department of Veterans Affairs in carrying out its mission to support our nation's servicemembers, veterans and their families and survivors," said Sen. Moran. "I am grateful to all of the sponsors of these bills for their work, and I am pleased to advance them to the full Senate."

During the business meeting, Sen. Moran highlighted the importance of improving support for the surviving families of fallen servicemembers, following today's dignified transfer ceremony for the six U.S. servicemembers who tragically lost their lives in the KC-135 crash in Iraq on March 12.

"Military service is family service, and no one knows that as clearly as a survivor does," continued Sen. Moran. "I note this today as several members of our committee are currently attending the dignified transfer of fallen servicemembers at Dover Air Force Base. Our thoughts are with the survivors of those fallen heroes, and we advance these bills out of committee today to make certain that servicemembers, veterans and their families receive the benefits and services they deserve."

Sen. Moran introduced the Love Lives On Act to allow surviving spouses of fallen servicemembers to retain their Department of Defense (DOD) and Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) benefits upon remarriage, regardless of age. Under current law, surviving spouses who remarry before age 55 lose eligibility for most DOD and VA benefits. That legislation now waits for a vote from the full Senate.

Click HERE to Watch Sen. Moran's Full Opening Remarks

A full list of the legislation that passed out of committee can be found here.

Sen. Moran Legislative Priorities Advanced Out of Committee:

• S.410 - Love Lives On Act
• • Would allow surviving spouses of deceased servicemembers to retain certain survivor benefits and other benefits if they remarry before the age of 55. This would include Dependency and Indemnity Compensation (DIC) benefits from VA as well as Survivor Benefit Plan (SBP) benefits and certain Tricare eligibility from DOD.

• S.649 - Guard/Reserve G.I. Bill Parity Act of 2026
• • Would allow additional federal active-duty service performed by National Guard members and Reservists under specific duty statuses to count towards their GI Bill eligibility, aligning their benefits with the benefits of those earned by active-duty service members.

• S.2981 - Veterans Prosthetics Advancement and Reform Act
• • Would improve prosthetic and rehabilitative care and services at VA and require VA to establish a transparent, evidence-based formulary for prosthetic and rehabilitative items/services, developed with input from veterans, clinicians and the public.

• S.3119 - Fisher House Availability Act
• • Would expand access to temporary lodging at VA Fisher Houses, when space is available, to active-duty servicemembers, reservists and other members of the U.S. Armed Forces and their families when they must travel significant distances to receive care at VA or other health care facilities.

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