Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015
Public Law 114-62 · S. 136 · 114th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Barack Obama (D) on Oct 7, 2015 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Sen. Ron Wyden (D-OR)
Cosponsors (2): Sen. Sherrod Brown, Sen. Susan Collins
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Gold Star Fathers Act of 2015
(Sec. 2) Includes as a preference eligible for federal employment purposes a parent (currently, the mother only) of either an individual who lost his or her life under honorable conditions while serving in the Armed Forces during a war, in a campaign or expedition for which a campaign badge has been authorized, or during the period beginning April 28, 1952, and ending July 1, 1955, or a service-connected permanently and totally disabled veteran, if: (1) the spouse of such parent is totally and permanently disabled; or (2) such parent, when preference is claimed, is unmarried or legally separated from his or her spouse.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
1 bill the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 1222Related bill
Gold Star Fathers Act
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 21 actions.
- Oct 7, 2015Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 114-62.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Sep 30, 2015FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2015FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 136.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Walberg moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 18, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on the Union Calendar, Calendar No. 199.
- CommitteeCommittee · Reported by the Committee on Oversight and Government Reform. H. Rept. 114-263.
- Jul 22, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Ordered to be Reported by Voice Vote.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee Consideration and Mark-up Session Held.
- May 12, 2015FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Government Reform.
- May 11, 2015FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Unanimous Consent.
- May 5, 2015CalendarCalendar · Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 67.
- CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Reported by Senator Johnson without amendment. With written report No. 114-35.
- Mar 4, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. Ordered to be reported without amendment favorably.
- Jan 8, 2015CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S103; text of measure as introduced: CR S103)
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
No amendments to this bill are on record.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.