Advocates are celebrating passage of a top legislative priority that will allow “widowed survivors to remarry at any age without losing their financial benefits.”
The Love Lives On Act was passed by the U.S. Senate Committee on Veterans’ Affairs in March after groups, including the Tragedy Assistance Program for Survivors (TAPS) and more than 50 Veteran Service Organizations (VSOs), endorsed the bill. Under the current law, surviving spouses are required to surrender these benefits if they remarry before reaching the age of 55.
“We celebrate this step in the right direction on behalf of America’s survivor community,” Bonnie Carroll, president and founder of TAPS, said in a press release. “We want to thank Chairman [Jerry] Moran and committee members for advancing this critical piece of legislation. The ‘remarriage penalty’ has placed an unfair burden on those who have already sacrificed so much. We are encouraged by this progress and will continue to push until this legislation becomes law.”
The legislation would impact nearly 30,000 surviving military families, including Anita Sullivan, whose husband died by suicide seven years ago after serving in the Navy. She and her daughter, Sophia, spoke with Military Families Magazine after Anita’s March 4 testimony to the House Committee on Veterans’ Affairs (HVAC) joint hearing.
Anita, who lives outside Jacksonville, Florida, explained TAPS was one of the first resources she found after her husband, Navy Petty Officer 3rd Class Michael Sullivan, died. Months later, the family attended a National Military Suicide Survivor Seminar and Good Grief Camp.
“That was really the start of a healing journey for me personally to find others that were in similar situations with parenting, with their personal journey as spouses, and just having a network around me,” Anita said. “Then, having mentors come alongside my kids and just really invest in their lives … some of those people almost seven years later are still involved [and it] has meant the world to us.”
She would then take on a more active role in advocacy, which included walking the halls of Congress to speak with legislators about bills that were important to surviving families. On one occasion in 2024, Anita added, Sophia leaned over and asked if she could speak. “From then on, she has been sharing her story and using her voice to really have an impact.”
Sophia, a fifth grader, spoke of her hobbies that are typical among elementary school-aged students, like playing football and drawing (something she was doing during the interview), but she also carries many thoughts most kids her age don’t have to: getting legislation passed.
“I think that it’s important that we pass the Love Lives On Act because so many kids out there, who have gone through what I’ve gone through, have just wanted a father figure in their life to be there for them,” Sophia said. “But when people do want to get remarried and find love again, they can’t, … and obviously a kid would love to see their mom happy. But what breaks my heart is seeing families all over like me. I can see it in their eyes. I can see the sadness there because it’s always there. You can’t just get rid of it. And it’s so hard to just not be able to marry someone that you love and put a hold on your love for some random age that Congress decided to put.”
Anita agreed, calling the current law “anti-family,” “anti-military,” and a threat to family stability.
“We believe that continuing to provide that [benefit] even after a remarriage is part of the commitment that was made and continuing to do that is honoring the service and the sacrifice of our loved ones and our families.”
To permanently remove the “remarriage penalty,” a full Senate vote and action in the House will be required. MFM will provide updates if the Love Lives On Act progresses.
