[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4499 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4499

   To amend title 5, United States Code, to make available under the 
 health benefits program for Federal employees the option of obtaining 
      coverage for self and children only, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 6, 1998

   Mr. Sabo introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
              Committee on Government Reform and Oversight

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
   To amend title 5, United States Code, to make available under the 
 health benefits program for Federal employees the option of obtaining 
      coverage for self and children only, and for other purposes.

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

SECTION 1. OPTION TO ELECT COVERAGE FOR SELF AND UNMARRIED DEPENDENT 
              CHILDREN.

    Subsection (a) of section 8905 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended to read as follows:
    ``(a) An employee may enroll in an approved health benefits plan 
described by section 8903 or 8903a of this title either--
            ``(1) as an individual;
            ``(2) for self and family; or
            ``(3) for self and children only.
Coverage described in paragraph (3) includes neither the spouse of the 
enrollee (if any) nor any child who does not satisfy section 
8901(5).''.

SEC. 2. CONTRIBUTIONS AND RATES.

    (a) Contributions.--
            (1) In general.--Paragraph (1) of section 8906(a) of title 
        5, United States Code, as set forth in the amendment made by 
        section 7002(a) of the Balanced Budget Act of 1997 (Public Law 
        105-33; 111 Stat. 662), is amended--
                    (A) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph 
                (A);
                    (B) by striking the period at the end of 
                subparagraph (B) and inserting ``; and''; and
                    (C) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the 
                following:
            ``(C) enrollments under this chapter for self and unmarried 
        dependent children (consistent with section 8902(p)(1)).''.
            (2) Effective date.--The amendments made by paragraph (1) 
        shall take effect as if included in the Balanced Budget Act of 
        1997.
    (b) Separate Rates Based on Number of Children, Etc.--Section 8902 
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:
    ``(p) Rates charged by health benefits plans for coverage described 
in section 8905(a)(3) shall be governed by the provisions of subsection 
(i), except that--
            ``(1) separate rates shall apply depending on whether the 
        total number of unmarried dependent children is equal to 1, 2, 
        or 3 or more; and
            ``(2) for purposes of setting such rates for the first 
        contract year in which such coverage is offered, such 
        provisions shall be applied by substituting `large employers 
        for coverage for self and unmarried dependent children.' for 
        `large employers.'.''.

SEC. 3. DUPLICATIVE COVERAGE AND CHANGES OF COVERAGE.

    (a) Duplicative Coverage.--Subsection (d) of section 8905 of title 
5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: 
``The Office shall by regulation ensure that, in any situation not 
otherwise covered by this subsection, if an employee or annuitant 
enrolls either for self and family or for self and children only, the 
spouse of such employee or annuitant shall not be eligible for any 
enrollment that would result in the same person being covered under 
both enrollments at the same time.''.
    (b) Changes of Coverage.--Subsection (e) of section 8905 of title 
5, United States Code, is amended by inserting ``or that of himself and 
his unmarried dependent children'' after ``or that of himself and 
members of his family''.

SEC. 4. CONFORMING AMENDMENT.

    Section 8905(c) of title 5, United States Code, is amended by 
striking ``self and family'' each place it appears and inserting ``for 
self and children only''.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    (a) In General.--The Office of Personnel Management shall take such 
steps as may be necessary to ensure that the type of coverage provided 
for by this Act shall be available by the beginning of the first 
contract year beginning at least 6 months after the date of enactment 
of this Act.
    (b) Savings Provision.--For any contract year preceding the first 
contract year referred to in subsection (a), chapter 89 of title 5, 
United States Code, shall be applied as if this Act had not been 
enacted.
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