BELO’S Act

# BELO'S Act Summary The BELO'S Act (Benefits that Endure for Lifetimes Of Service Act) would provide a free lifetime pass to America's national parks and federal recreational lands to survivors of military members who died in service. Currently, this benefit is available only to disabled veterans and Gold Star families in limited circumstances. The bill would expand eligibility to include any survivor receiving either a military death gratuity (a one-time payment when service members die on active duty) or dependency and indemnity compensation (ongoing payments to surviving dependents). This affects surviving spouses, children, and other dependents of deceased service members. The bill passed the House of Representatives and is sponsored by Rep.

Gabe Evans (R-CO). The pass would provide free access to hundreds of national parks, monuments, and recreation areas for eligible survivors for their entire lifetime, removing the need to purchase individual park entrance fees. Supporters view this as a modest benefit honoring the sacrifice of military families, while the fiscal impact would depend on how many survivors use the pass and the foregone entrance fee revenue.