S. 1204 — Gold Star and Surviving Spouse Career Services Act

This section expands the Disabled Veterans' Outreach Program—under which states employ full- or part-time specialists (DVOP specialists) to provide intensive employment services, such as job placement assistance, resumes, and cover letters, with priority to special disabled veterans, other disabled veterans, and other eligible veterans—to include eligible persons alongside eligible veterans. Eligible persons are defined as (1) any spouse described in 38 U.S.C. 4101(5) (i.e., spouses of veterans with total service-connected disabilities or spouses receiving dependency and indemnity compensation) or (2) the spouse of any person who died while a member of the Armed Forces; maximum emphasis must be placed on economically or educationally disadvantaged veterans and eligible persons, and full-time DVOP specialists may perform only duties related to both groups (striking prior limitation to "non-veteran-related" duties).