[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 1848 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 1848

   To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to modify the 
formula under which the Government contribution for a Federal employee 
 or annuitant enrolled in a health benefits plan under such chapter is 
                              determined.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 10, 1997

   Mr. Hoyer (for himself, Mrs. Morella, Mr. Cummings, Mr. Moran of 
Virginia, Mr. Fazio of California, Mr. Ford, and Mr. Davis of Virginia) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                    Government Reform and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to modify the 
formula under which the Government contribution for a Federal employee 
 or annuitant enrolled in a health benefits plan under such chapter is 
                              determined.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTION.

    (a) In General.--Section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by striking subsection (a) and all that follows through the end 
of paragraph (1) of subsection (b) and inserting the following:
    ``(a)(1) The Office of Personnel Management shall, not later than 
October 1 of each year, determine the weighted average of the 
subscription charges that will be in effect during the following 
contract year with respect to--
            ``(A) enrollments under this chapter for self alone; and
            ``(B) enrollments under this chapter for self and family.
    ``(2) In determining each weighted average under paragraph (1), the 
weight to be given to a particular subscription charge shall, with 
respect to each plan (and option) to which it is to apply, be 
commensurate with the number of enrollees enrolled in such plan (and 
option) as of March 31 of the year in which the determination is being 
made.
    ``(3) For purposes of paragraph (2), the term `enrollee' means any 
individual who, during the contract year for which the weighted average 
is to be used under this section, will be eligible for a Government 
contribution determined under this section.
    ``(b)(1) Except as provided in paragraphs (2) and (3), the biweekly 
Government contribution for health benefits for an employee or 
annuitant enrolled in a health benefits plan under this chapter is 
adjusted to an amount equal to 72 percent of the weighted average under 
subsection (a)(1)(A) or (B), as applicable. For an employee, the 
adjustment begins on the first day of the employee's first pay period 
of each year. For an annuitant, the adjustment begins on the first day 
of the first period of each year for which an annuity payment is 
made.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--This section and the amendment made by this 
section shall take effect on the first day of the contract year that 
begins in 1999, except that nothing in this subsection shall prevent 
the Office of Personnel Management from taking any action, before such 
first day, which it considers necessary in order to ensure the timely 
implementation of such amendment.
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