Access to Military Installations for Certain Surviving Gold Star Family Members of the Armed Forces

(a) Procedures for access of surviving gold star family members required The Secretary of Defense, acting jointly with the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a Service in the Navy, shall establish procedures by which any eligible Surviving Gold Star Family Member of a covered member of the Armed Forces may obtain unescorted access, as appropriate, to military installations, including commissary and exchange stores, notwithstanding the purpose of such access. (b) Considerations Any procedures established under this section shall— (1) be applied consistently across the Department of Defense and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a Service in the Navy, including all components of the Departments; (2) minimize any administrative burden on a Surviving Gold Star Family Member; (3) take into account measures required to ensure the security of military installations, including eligibility for access, renewal periodicity, and installation commander discretion to temporarily limit access only as necessary; and (4) take into account such other factors as the Secretary of Defense or the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a Service in the Navy considers appropriate. (c) Deadline The procedures required by subsection (a) shall be established by the date that is not later than 180 days after the date of the enactment of this Act. (d) Definitions In this section: (1) The term eligible Surviving Gold Star Family Member means an individual who is a widow or widower, unmarried partner, parent, grandparent, child, stepchild, child through adoption, brother, half-brother, sister, half-sister, or stepsibling of a covered member of the Armed Forces, or other family member as the Secretary considers appropriate. (2) The term covered member of the Armed Forces means a member of the Armed Forces who dies while serving— (A) on active duty; or (B) on such reserve or National Guard duty as the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of the department in which the Coast Guard is operating when it is not operating as a Service in the Navy may jointly specify for purposes of this section.