[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2824 Introduced in House (IH)]






109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2824

  To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide TRICARE Standard 
  coverage for members of reserve components of the Armed Forces who 
            serve at least one year on active duty overseas.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                              June 8, 2005

Mr. Rohrabacher (for himself and Mr. Taylor of Mississippi) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To amend title 10, United States Code, to provide TRICARE Standard 
  coverage for members of reserve components of the Armed Forces who 
            serve at least one year on active duty overseas.

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

SECTION 1. TRICARE STANDARD COVERAGE FOR MEMBERS OF RESERVE COMPONENTS 
              WHO SERVE AT LEAST ONE YEAR ON ACTIVE DUTY OVERSEAS.

    (a) In General.--
            (1) TRICARE standard coverage.--Chapter 55 of title 10, 
        United States Code, is amended by inserting after section 1076d 
        the following new section:
``Sec. 1076e. TRICARE program: coverage for members of reserve 
              components who serve at least one year on active duty 
              overseas
    ``(a) Eligibility.--Notwithstanding section 1076d of this title, a 
member of the Ready Reserve or Retired Reserve of a reserve component 
of the armed forces is eligible for health benefits under TRICARE 
Standard after the member completes service on active duty to which the 
member was called or ordered for a period of more than 30 days under a 
provision of law referred to in section 101(a)(13)(B) if the member 
served, for one year or more pursuant to such call or order--
            ``(1) continuously on active duty; and
            ``(2) while assigned to a duty station at a location 
        outside the United States.
    ``(b) Period of Coverage.--TRICARE Standard coverage of a member 
under this section, on the basis of active-duty service performed as 
described in subsection (a)--
            ``(1) begins upon the expiration of the member's 
        entitlement to care and benefits under section 1145(a) of this 
        title that is based on the same active-duty service; and
            ``(2) terminates upon the termination of the member's 
        service in the Ready Reserve or Retired Reserve.
    ``(c) Family Members.--While a member of a reserve component is 
covered by TRICARE Standard under this section, the members of the 
immediate family of such member are eligible for TRICARE Standard 
coverage as dependents of the member.
    ``(d) Premiums.--A member of a reserve component covered by TRICARE 
Standard under this section shall pay a premium for that coverage. The 
premium shall be the same as the premiums prescribed under section 
1076d of this title for members covered by TRICARE Standard under that 
section.
    ``(e) Relationship to Section 1076d.--In the case of a member of a 
reserve component eligible for TRICARE Standard coverage under this 
section and under section 1076d of this title, the member may chose the 
coverage that is most advantageous to the member.
    ``(f) Definition.--In this section, the terms `immediate family' 
and `TRICARE Standard' have the meanings provided in section 1076d of 
this title.
    ``(g) Regulations.--The Secretary of Defense, in consultation with 
the other administering Secretaries, shall prescribe regulations for 
the administration of this section.''.
            (2) Clerical amendment.--The table of sections at the 
        beginning of such chapter is amended by inserting after the 
        item relating to section1076d the following new item:

``1076e. TRICARE program: coverage for members of reserve components 
                            who serve at least one year on active duty 
                            overseas.''.
    (b) Effective Date.--Section 1076e of title 10, United States Code, 
as added by subsection (a), shall take effect on the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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