[Congressional Bills 109th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4424 Introduced in House (IH)]







109th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 4424

To amend title 5, United States Code, to make family members of public 
safety officers killed in the line of duty eligible for coverage under 
 the Federal employees health benefits program, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                           November 18, 2005

  Mr. Stupak (for himself, Mr. Ramstad, Mrs. McCarthy, Mr. Kennedy of 
  Rhode Island, Mr. Bishop of Georgia, Mr. Pallone, and Mrs. Maloney) 
 introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on 
                           Government Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend title 5, United States Code, to make family members of public 
safety officers killed in the line of duty eligible for coverage under 
 the Federal employees health benefits program, 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. ELIGIBILITY FOR HEALTH BENEFITS.

    (a) In General.--Chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, is 
amended by adding at the end the following:
``Sec. 8915. Coverage for survivors of public safety officers killed in 
              the line of duty
    ``(a) For purposes of this section--
            ``(1) the term `qualified individual' means an individual 
        who, as of the date on which such individual first submits an 
        application for health benefits coverage under this section, is 
        a member of the family of a public safety officer killed in the 
        line of duty;
            ``(2) the term `member of the family' has the meaning such 
        term would have under paragraph (5) of section 8901 if each 
        reference in such paragraph to an `employee or annuitant' were 
        treated as a reference to a public safety officer killed in the 
        line of duty; and
            ``(3) the term `public safety officer killed in the line of 
        duty' means a public safety officer (as defined by section 1204 
        of the Omnibus Crime Control and Safe Streets Act of 1968) who 
        died as the direct and proximate result of a personal injury 
        sustained in the line of duty (as determined under section 1201 
        of such Act).
    ``(b) Under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel 
Management, a qualified individual may enroll in an approved health 
benefits plan described by section 8903 or 8903a as an individual or 
for self and family.
    ``(c) The regulations shall specify the terms and conditions of 
coverage under this section, which shall, to the extent practicable, be 
consistent with those applicable in the case of an individual having 
continued enrollment as a family member under section 8905(b)(2).
    ``(d) An application for health benefits coverage under this 
section shall be submitted at such time, in such manner, and together 
with such information or evidence of eligibility for coverage as the 
Office may by regulation require.
    ``(e)(1) Notwithstanding any other provision of this chapter--
            ``(A) the amount necessary to pay the total enrollment 
        charge for an individual who is enrolled in a health benefits 
        plan under this section shall be paid by such individual and 
        the Government in the same proportions as would apply in the 
        case of an annuitant--
                    ``(i) with the individual contribution to be paid 
                currently into the Employees Health Benefits Fund under 
                arrangements satisfactory to the Office; and
                    ``(ii) with the Government contribution to be made 
                from annual appropriations which are authorized to be 
                made for that purpose and which may be made available 
                until expended;
            ``(B) an individual may not enroll or remain enrolled in a 
        health benefits plan under this section, by virtue of being the 
        widow or widower of a public safety officer killed in the line 
        of duty, if such individual remarries; and
            ``(C) an individual whose enrollment under this section is 
        terminated, whether voluntarily or involuntarily, shall be 
        barred from subsequently reenrolling under this section.
    ``(2) The Office may, in its sole discretion, waive the provisions 
of subparagraph (B) or (C) of paragraph (1) if the Office determines 
that, due to exceptional circumstances, it would be against equity and 
good conscience not to allow such individual to enroll, remain 
enrolled, or to reenroll (as the case may be).
    ``(f) The regulations prescribed by the Office to carry out this 
section shall include, in the case of an individual who obtains 
coverage under this section but who (even if this section had never 
been enacted) would otherwise have been eligible for health benefits 
under this chapter, provisions to ensure that the rights afforded to 
such individual under this chapter are not adversely affected as a 
result of the enactment of this section.
    ``(g) The Bureau of Justice Assistance of the Department of Justice 
shall keep such records, make such certifications, and furnish the 
Office such information and reports as may be necessary to enable the 
Office to carry out its functions under this section.''.
    (b) Conforming Amendment.--The table of sections for chapter 89 of 
title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
following:

``8915. Coverage for survivors of public safety officers killed in the 
                            line of duty.''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to coverage in contract years beginning not less 
than 6 months after the date of the enactment of this Act.
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