Mebenz,
You are correct that users in GP 2013 cannot be setup with a blank password. However, if you make the default password something like "access" or "password", I don't think most users would have an issue with this.
However, I did check, and both GP 2010 and 2013 display the same behavior when it comes to having the user change their password at next login. This is, if you check the Enforce Password Policy option, you are forced to check the Enforce Password Expiration in order to get the Change Password Next Login option. So in that respect, the functionality remains the same.
Perhaps, you can look into Rockton Software's GP Toolbox which provides functionality to better manage password complexity and resets without having to depend on SQL Server password policies.
