[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 973 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                 S. 973

 To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental 
 and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal 
  employees affected by a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.


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                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             April 1, 2019

   Ms. Smith introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental 
 and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal 
  employees affected by a Government shutdown, 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. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage 
During Shutdowns Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING SUPPLEMENTAL DENTAL AND VISION BENEFITS AND LONG-
              TERM CARE INSURANCE COVERAGE DURING A GOVERNMENT 
              SHUTDOWN.

    (a) In General.--Subpart G of part III of title 5, United States 
Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 8956, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a dental benefits 
plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay status because of a 
lapse in appropriations, the coverage under the dental benefits plan 
shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and may not be 
cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic 
charges due to the lapse in appropriations.'';
            (2) in section 8986, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a vision benefits 
plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay status because of a 
lapse in appropriations, the coverage under the vision benefits plan 
shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and may not be 
cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic 
charges due to the lapse in appropriations.''; and
            (3) in section 9003, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Effect of Government Shutdown.--With respect to an employee 
or member of the uniformed services enrolled under a master contract 
for long-term care insurance under this chapter who is placed in a 
nonpay status because of a lapse in appropriations, coverage under the 
master contract shall continue during the lapse in appropriations and 
may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other 
periodic charges due to the lapse in appropriations.''.
    (b) Regulations.--The Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management shall prescribe regulations under which premiums for 
supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance 
under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States 
Code, (as amended by subsection (a)) that are unpaid by an employee or 
member of the uniformed services (as the case may be), as a result of 
that employee or member being placed in a nonpay status because of a 
lapse in appropriations, are paid to the applicable carrier from back 
pay made available to the employee or member as soon as practicable 
upon the end of the lapse in appropriations.
    (c) Application.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply 
to any contract for supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-
term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of 
title 5, United States Code, entered into before, on, or after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
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