"After close consultation with the Department of Justice (DOJ), the
Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is providing guidance to same-sex
married couples on the benefits and services to which they are entitled
under current laws and regulations.
"VA worked closely with DOJ to develop guidance to process cases
involving same-sex marriages and to implement necessary changes swiftly
and smoothly in order to deliver the best services to all eligible
Veterans," said Acting Secretary of Veterans Affairs Sloan D. Gibson.
The U.S. Supreme Court overturned section 3 of the Defense of Marriage
Act (DOMA), which governed the definitions of "marriage" and "spouse"
for all federal agencies. However, there remain certain provisions of
federal law governing Veterans' benefits and services that, like DOMA,
define a spouse as a member of the opposite sex. In September 2013, the
U.S. Attorney General announced President Obama's directive to cease
enforcement of those VA-specific definitional provisions..."
Veterans, Same-Sex Marriages
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