(Washington, DC) – Yesterday, Congressman Patrick Murphy (D-PA) voted to pass legislation allowing parents of deceased service members to access state veterans homes. Currently, an individual must be a veteran, a spouse of a veteran, or a Gold Star parent in order to be allowed admission. Under existing law, however, the Gold Star parent must have lost all of his or children while in military service. The bill (H.R. 4505) would now allow a Gold Star parent who lost at least one son or daughter while serving their country to be eligible for admission.

“When a child goes to war, the last thing they should have to worry about is whether their parents will be taken care of should something happen,” said Murphy. “We must recognize the sacrifice made by the parents of our troops and ensure they have access to care.”

Pennsylvania is home to six state veterans homes, including the Delaware Valley Veterans' Home in Philadelphia, which provide hospital and nursing home care to thousands of veterans and dependents.

For Immediate Release, July 1, 2010
Contact, Sara Schaumburg, (201) 225-4276