Lauren Tomkiewicz Legislative Updates

FY2023 National Defense Authorization Act
Article Link

"No military spouse should ever have to wait the agonizing 23 hours I waited to hear my husband was killed. Due to the current archaic system, my official notification came nearly 15 hours after I read about it on social media. This amendment is imperative in updating the notification process by allowing this policy to adapt to current times and technology.

In addition, no military spouse should ever have to hear ‘your husband is 100% coming back home via commercial aircraft transfer.’ This amendment helps give power back to the family, while also holding Mortuary Affairs Operations accountable in actually following current policy guidelines. The families of those who make the ultimate sacrifice should become the ultimate priority." -Lauren Tomkiewicz

Indiana Gold Star Family License Plate Article Link

Looking at the current plates, Lauren felt there were no context clues about what a Gold Star Family is. When she was speaking with a Gold Star mom about wanting to change the plates, that mom shared an experience with Lauren where she was in a parking lot and someone saw her plate and said “Oh, gold star. Aren’t you special.”

That mom then had to explain to the stranger that she had to bury her son in Arlington National Cemetery and it wasn’t a gold star that one would get for doing a good job on a spelling test.

At the end of the day, if one person looks at my license plate and puts together ‘Oh, she’s a [Gold Star Family member] and her loved one made the ultimate sacrifice for this country, then my job is done.”