Public Law 114-246 · H.R. 4511 · Became law November 28, 2016

Gold Star Families Voices Act

Official title: “To amend the Veterans' Oral History Project Act to allow the collection of video and audio recordings of biographical histories by immediate family members of members of the Armed Forces who died as a result of their service during a period of war.”

House: voice vote · Senate 97–0
Confirmed from the official record

All laws of the 114th Congress

What this law changes

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Plain-language account: Not started

Read the official text of the law

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Press releases by members of Congress

No saved press release names this law.

Read from 539 of 539 members' sites, releases since January 3, 2025, through October 7, 2026.

Press releases by organizations

No saved press release from these organizations names this law.

Read from 510 of 510 organizations' sites, releases since January 3, 2025, through October 7, 2026.

How it passed

The House passed it by voice vote on September 6, 2016. A voice vote records no individual votes.

The Senate passed it 97 to 0 on November 15, 2016, with 3 senators who did not vote.

It became law on November 28, 2016.

The question on the official record: Senate, “On Passage of the Bill H.R. 4511”.

Chamber and partyYesNoPresentDid not vote
Senate Republicans51003
Senate Democrats44000
Senate independents2000

How each member voted

Only Senate members have a recorded vote on this law.

100 members. Select a name to see that member's votes on laws that passed.

AK · SenateDan SullivanRRepublicanYes
AK · SenateLisa MurkowskiRRepublicanYes
AL · SenateJeff SessionsRRepublicanDid not vote
AL · SenateRichard C. ShelbyRRepublicanYes
AR · SenateJohn BoozmanRRepublicanYes
AR · SenateTom CottonRRepublicanYes
AZ · SenateJeff FlakeRRepublicanYes
AZ · SenateJohn McCainRRepublicanYes
CA · SenateBarbara BoxerDDemocratYes
CA · SenateDianne FeinsteinDDemocratYes
CO · SenateCory GardnerRRepublicanYes
CO · SenateMichael F. BennetDDemocratYes
CT · SenateChristopher MurphyDDemocratYes
CT · SenateRichard BlumenthalDDemocratYes
DE · SenateChristopher A. CoonsDDemocratYes
DE · SenateThomas R. CarperDDemocratYes
FL · SenateBill NelsonDDemocratYes
FL · SenateMarco RubioRRepublicanYes
GA · SenateDavid PerdueRRepublicanDid not vote
GA · SenateJohnny IsaksonRRepublicanYes
HI · SenateBrian SchatzDDemocratYes
HI · SenateMazie K. HironoDDemocratYes
IA · SenateChuck GrassleyRRepublicanYes
IA · SenateJoni ErnstRRepublicanYes
ID · SenateJames E. RischRRepublicanYes
ID · SenateMike CrapoRRepublicanYes
IL · SenateMark KirkRRepublicanYes
IL · SenateRichard J. DurbinDDemocratYes
IN · SenateDaniel CoatsRRepublicanYes
IN · SenateJoe DonnellyDDemocratYes
KS · SenateJerry MoranRRepublicanYes
KS · SenatePat RobertsRRepublicanYes
KY · SenateMitch McConnellRRepublicanYes
KY · SenateRand PaulRRepublicanYes
LA · SenateBill CassidyRRepublicanYes
LA · SenateDavid VitterRRepublicanYes
MA · SenateEdward J. MarkeyDDemocratYes
MA · SenateElizabeth WarrenDDemocratYes
MD · SenateBarbara A. MikulskiDDemocratYes
MD · SenateBenjamin L. CardinDDemocratYes
ME · SenateAngus S. King, Jr.IIndependentYes
ME · SenateSusan M. CollinsRRepublicanYes
MI · SenateDebbie StabenowDDemocratYes
MI · SenateGary C. PetersDDemocratYes
MN · SenateAl FrankenDDemocratYes
MN · SenateAmy KlobucharDDemocratYes
MO · SenateClaire McCaskillDDemocratYes
MO · SenateRoy BluntRRepublicanYes
MS · SenateRoger F. WickerRRepublicanYes
MS · SenateThad CochranRRepublicanYes
MT · SenateJon TesterDDemocratYes
MT · SenateSteve DainesRRepublicanYes
NC · SenateRichard BurrRRepublicanYes
NC · SenateThom TillisRRepublicanYes
ND · SenateHeidi HeitkampDDemocratYes
ND · SenateJohn HoevenRRepublicanYes
NE · SenateBen SasseRRepublicanYes
NE · SenateDeb FischerRRepublicanYes
NH · SenateJeanne ShaheenDDemocratYes
NH · SenateKelly AyotteRRepublicanYes
NJ · SenateCory A. BookerDDemocratYes
NJ · SenateRobert MenendezDDemocratYes
NM · SenateMartin HeinrichDDemocratYes
NM · SenateTom UdallDDemocratYes
NV · SenateDean HellerRRepublicanYes
NV · SenateHarry ReidDDemocratYes
NY · SenateCharles E. SchumerDDemocratYes
NY · SenateKirsten E. GillibrandDDemocratYes
OH · SenateRob PortmanRRepublicanYes
OH · SenateSherrod BrownDDemocratYes
OK · SenateJames LankfordRRepublicanYes
OK · SenateJames M. InhofeRRepublicanYes
OR · SenateJeff MerkleyDDemocratYes
OR · SenateRon WydenDDemocratYes
PA · SenatePatrick J. ToomeyRRepublicanYes
PA · SenateRobert P. Casey, Jr.DDemocratYes
RI · SenateJack ReedDDemocratYes
RI · SenateSheldon WhitehouseDDemocratYes
SC · SenateLindsey GrahamRRepublicanYes
SC · SenateTim ScottRRepublicanYes
SD · SenateJohn ThuneRRepublicanYes
SD · SenateMike RoundsRRepublicanYes
TN · SenateBob CorkerRRepublicanYes
TN · SenateLamar AlexanderRRepublicanYes
TX · SenateJohn CornynRRepublicanYes
TX · SenateTed CruzRRepublicanDid not vote
UT · SenateMike LeeRRepublicanYes
UT · SenateOrrin G. HatchRRepublicanYes
VA · SenateMark R. WarnerDDemocratYes
VA · SenateTim KaineDDemocratYes
VT · SenateBernard SandersIIndependentYes
VT · SenatePatrick J. LeahyDDemocratYes
WA · SenateMaria CantwellDDemocratYes
WA · SenatePatty MurrayDDemocratYes
WI · SenateRon JohnsonRRepublicanYes
WI · SenateTammy BaldwinDDemocratYes
WV · SenateJoe Manchin, IIIDDemocratYes
WV · SenateShelley Moore CapitoRRepublicanYes
WY · SenateJohn BarrassoRRepublicanYes
WY · SenateMichael B. EnziRRepublicanYes

Where this comes from

A file marked "saved" is our own copy of the official file. The code beside it is its fingerprint, a short code that changes if the file's contents change. A file with no copy saved carries "Not published yet".

Published law, official text (web page)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 2,509 bytes
6055480cbcadcbefConfirmed from the official record
Published law, official text (PDF)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 200,976 bytes
bd4c4f2e9b2fb1f7Confirmed from the official record
Published law, official text (XML)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 7,752 bytes
eeef3979bc2d7b8cConfirmed from the official record
Final bill as passed by Congress (web page)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 2,326 bytes
ad85727d73726f27Confirmed from the official record
Final bill as passed by Congress (PDF)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 104,241 bytes
a1c8a71779477b2bConfirmed from the official record
Final bill as passed by Congress (XML)govinfo.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · 4,388 bytes
2b7bf62d5b8cef9fConfirmed from the official record
Senate roll call 152 of 2016: On Passage of the Bill H.R. 4511senate.gov · saved October 5, 2026 · the vote that passed the law
0ad620c059700bd5Confirmed from the official record
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