[Congressional Bills 107th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4997 Introduced in House (IH)]







107th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 4997

To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to allow the spouse 
 of a Federal employee or annuitant to obtain health benefits coverage 
                for self alone, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 21, 2002

  Mr. Frank 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 allow the spouse 
 of a Federal employee or annuitant to obtain health benefits coverage 
                for self alone, 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. NEW ENROLLMENT OPTION.

    (a) In General.--Section 8905 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
    ``(i)(1) Under regulations prescribed by the Office, if an employee 
or annuitant eligible to enroll in a health benefits plan under this 
chapter has a spouse who (but for this subsection) would not otherwise 
be eligible to enroll, such spouse shall be eligible to enroll, so long 
as the employee or annuitant is not concurrently enrolled for self and 
family.
    ``(2) Under this subsection, the spouse--
            ``(A) shall be eligible to enroll in a health benefits plan 
        as an individual (but not for self and family); and
            ``(B) shall be provided the same Government contribution 
        (and shall be subject to the same rates) as if an annuitant.
    ``(3) The regulations shall include--
            ``(A) provisions to ensure that the enrollment option under 
        this subsection shall be made available only if, and to the 
        extent that, the subscription charges for the plan offering 
        such option shall be maintained at a level no higher than they 
        would have been absent this subsection; and
            ``(B) such other provisions as the Office considers 
        necessary to carry out the purposes of this subsection.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--(1) Section 8901(10)(B) of title 5, 
United States Code, is amended by inserting ``, or as an individual 
under section 8905(i),'' after ``family member''.
    (2) Section 8905(b) of such title is amended by striking ``or'' at 
the end of paragraph (1), by inserting ``or'' at the end of paragraph 
(2), and by inserting after paragraph (2) the following:
            ``(3) as an individual under subsection (i);''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this Act shall apply 
with respect to contract years beginning later than 6 months after the 
date of the enactment of this Act.
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