[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2096 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2096

 To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to make available 
 to Federal employees the option of obtaining health benefits coverage 
                         for dependent parents.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 9, 1999

  Mr. Engel introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                     Committee on Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to make available 
 to Federal employees the option of obtaining health benefits coverage 
                         for dependent parents.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Federal Family Health Coverage Act 
of 1999''.

SEC. 2. NEW ENROLLMENT OPTION.

    (a) In General.--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 either--
            ``(1) as an individual;
            ``(2) for self and family; or
            ``(3) for self and extended family.''.
    (b) Member of Extended Family Defined.--Section 8901 of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by striking ``and'' at the end of 
paragraph (10), by striking the period at the end of paragraph (11) and 
inserting ``; and'', and by adding at the end the following:
            ``(12) `member of the extended family' means, with respect 
        to an employee or annuitant, any individual who is--
                    ``(A) a member of the family of such employee or 
                annuitant; or
                    ``(B) a dependent parent of such employee or 
                annuitant.''.
    (c) Test for Dependency of a Parent.--Paragraph (9) of section 8901 
of title 5, United States Code, is amended by striking ``(9)'' and 
inserting ``(9)(A)'', by inserting ``and'' after the semicolon, and by 
adding at the end the following:
            ``(B) `dependent', in the case of any parent, means a 
        parent at least half of whose support is contributed by the 
        employee or annuitant involved, as determined under regulations 
        prescribed by the Office, but does not include an individual 
        who--
                    ``(i) is entitled to benefits under part A of title 
                XVIII of the Social Security Act; or
                    ``(ii) has adequate health benefits under another 
                group health plan, as determined under such 
                regulations;''.

SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT CONTRIBUTIONS.

    (a) In General.--Paragraph (1) of section 8906(a) of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended--
            (1) by striking ``and'' at the end of subparagraph (A);
            (2) by striking the period at the end of subparagraph (B) 
        and inserting ``; and''; and
            (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the following:
            ``(C) enrollments under this chapter for self and extended 
        family.''.
    (b) First-Year Rule.--The Office of Personnel Management shall by 
regulation establish the method by which the provisions of section 8906 
of title 5, United States Code, relating to computation of Government 
contributions, shall be applied in connection with coverage for self 
and extended family during the first year in which such coverage is 
provided.

SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

    Title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 8902(e) by striking ``exclusive of family 
        members,'' and inserting ``exclusive of family members and 
        dependent parents,'';
            (2) in the first sentence of section 8902(g), subsections 
        (a)(1)(B), (j) and (k)(1) of section 8902, and section 8903(1) 
        by inserting ``dependent parent,'' after ``family member,'';
            (3) in subsections (b)(2) and (f) of section 8905 by 
        inserting ``or extended family'' after ``family'';
            (4) in subsection (e) of section 8905 by adding at the end 
        the following: ``The Office shall by regulation ensure that the 
        purposes of this subsection continue to be carried after 
        coverage for self and extended family becomes available under 
        this chapter.'';
            (5) in sections 8906(e)(1)(A) and 8913(c) by inserting ``or 
        extended family'' after ``family''; and
            (6) in section 8907(b) by inserting ``or dependent 
        parents'' after ``family members'' each place it appears.

SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

    The amendments made by this Act shall apply with respect to 
coverage during years beginning at least 6 months after the date of 
enactment of this Act.
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