Andrew Thomas McCaffrey Green Star Veterans Service Act

I 118TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION H. R. 3076 To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to establish a flag for next of kin of veterans who die by suicide. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES MAY 2, 2023 Mr. VAN DREW introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on the Judiciary A BILL To amend title 36, United States Code, to direct the Sec- retary of Veterans Affairs to establish a flag for next of kin of veterans who die by suicide. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Andrew Thomas 4 McCaffrey Green Star Veterans Service Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 May 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3076.IH H3076 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 2 •HR 3076 IH SEC. 2. GREEN STAR SERVICE FLAG FOR NEXT OF KIN OF 1 VETERANS DECEASED AS RESULT OF SUI- 2 CIDE. 3 (a) GREEN STAR SERVICE FLAG.—Chapter 9 of title 4 36, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 5 the following new section: 6 ‘‘§ 904. Green Star Service Flag 7 ‘‘(a) DESIGNATION.—The Secretary of Veterans Af- 8 fairs shall design and designate a flag as the Green Star 9 Service Flag to identify next of kin of covered veterans. 10 ‘‘(b) INDIVIDUALS ENTITLED TO DISPLAY GREEN 11 STAR SERVICE FLAG.—An individual who is next of kin 12 of a covered veteran may display the Green Star Service 13 Flag. 14 ‘‘(c) LICENSE TO MANUFACTURE AND SELL.—Any 15 person may apply to the Secretary for a license to manu- 16 facture and sell the designated Green Star Service Flag. 17 A person that manufactures a Green Star Service Flag 18 without having first obtained a license or otherwise vio- 19 lates this section is liable to the United States for a civil 20 penalty of not more than $1,000. 21 ‘‘(d) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 22 ‘‘(1) The term ‘covered veteran’ means a vet- 23 eran who died— 24 ‘‘(A) on or after September 11, 2001; and 25 ‘‘(B) as the result of suicide. 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 May 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H3076.IH H3076 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB 3 •HR 3076 IH ‘‘(2) The term ‘next of kin’ includes— 1 ‘‘(A) a family member, as that term is de- 2 fined in section 1720K of title 38; and 3 ‘‘(B) any individual specified by the Sec- 4 retary in regulations prescribed pursuant to this 5 section.’’. 6 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 7 at the beginning of such chapter is amended by adding 8 at the end the following new item: 9 ‘‘904. Green Star Service Flag.’’. Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 03:13 May 13, 2023 Jkt 039200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H3076.IH H3076 pbinns on DSKJLVW7X2PROD with $$_JOB