[Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 122 (Tuesday, September 27, 2005)]
[Senate]
[Page S10480]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




      SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005

  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the 
committee on Veterans' Affairs be discharged from further consideration 
of H.R. 3200 and the Senate proceed to its immediate consideration.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The clerk will report the bill by title.
  The assistant legislative clerk read as follows:

       A bill (H.R. 3200) to amend title 38, the United States 
     Code, to enhance the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance 
     Program, and for other purposes.

  There being no objection, the Senate proceeded to consider the bill.
  Mr. ISAKSON. Mr. President, I ask unanimous consent that the Craig 
amendment which is at the desk be agreed to, the bill, as amended, be 
read a third time and passed, the motion to reconsider be laid upon the 
table, and that any statements relating to the measure be printed in 
the Record.
  The PRESIDING OFFICER. Without objection, it is so ordered.
  The amendment (No. 1872) was agreed to, as follows:

              (Purpose: to provide a complete substitute)

       Strike all after the enacting clause and insert the 
     following:

     SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

       This Act may be cited as the ``Servicemembers' Group Life 
     Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005''.

     SEC. 2. REPEALER.

       Effective as of August 31, 2005, section 1012 of division A 
     of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, 
     the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (Public 
     Law 109-13; 119 Stat. 244), including the amendments made by 
     that section, are repealed, and sections 1967, 1969, 1970, 
     and 1977 of title 38, United States Code, shall be applied as 
     if that section had not been enacted.

     SEC. 3. INCREASE FROM $250,000 TO $400,000 IN AUTOMATIC 
                   MAXIMUM COVERAGE UNDER SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP 
                   LIFE INSURANCE AND VETERANS' GROUP LIFE 
                   INSURANCE.

       (a) Maximum Under SGLI.--Section 1967 of title 38, United 
     States Code, is amended--
       (1) in subsection (a)(3)(A)(i), by striking ``$250,000'' 
     and inserting ``$400,000''; and
       (2) in subsection (d), by striking ``of $250,000'' and 
     inserting ``in effect under paragraph (3)(A)(i) of that 
     subsection''.
       (b) Maximum Under VGLI.--Section 1977(a) of such title is 
     amended--
       (1) in paragraph (1), by striking ``in excess of $250,000 
     at any one time'' and inserting ``at any one time in excess 
     of the maximum amount for Servicemembers' Group Life 
     Insurance in effect under section 1967(a)(3)(A)(i) of this 
     title''; and
       (2) in paragraph (2)--
       (A) by striking ``for less than $250,000 under 
     Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance'' and inserting ``under 
     Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance for less than the 
     maximum amount for such insurance in effect under section 
     1967(a)(3)(A)(i) of this title''; and
       (B) by striking ``does not exceed $250,000'' and inserting 
     ``does not exceed such maximum amount in effect under such 
     section''.
       (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section 
     shall take effect as of September 1, 2005, and shall apply 
     with respect to deaths occurring on or after that date.

     SEC. 4. SPOUSAL NOTIFICATIONS RELATING TO SERVICEMEMBERS' 
                   GROUP LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM.

       Effective as of September 1, 2005, section 1967 of title 
     38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 
     following new subsection:
       ``(f)(1) If a member who is married and who is eligible for 
     insurance under this section makes an election under 
     subsection (a)(2)(A) not to be insured under this subchapter, 
     the Secretary concerned shall notify the member's spouse, in 
     writing, of that election.
       ``(2) In the case of a member who is married and who is 
     insured under this section and whose spouse is designated as 
     a beneficiary of the member under this subchapter, whenever 
     the member makes an election under subsection (a)(3)(B) for 
     insurance of the member in an amount that is less than the 
     maximum amount provided under subsection (a)(3)(A)(i), the 
     Secretary concerned shall notify the member's spouse, in 
     writing, of that election--
       ``(A) in the case of the first such election; and
       ``(B) in the case of any subsequent such election if the 
     effect of such election is to reduce the amount of insurance 
     coverage of the member from that in effect immediately before 
     such election.
       ``(3) In the case of a member who is married and who is 
     insured under this section, if the member makes a designation 
     under section 1970(a) of this title of any person other than 
     the spouse or a child of the member as the beneficiary of the 
     member for any amount of insurance under this subchapter, the 
     Secretary concerned shall notify the member's spouse, in 
     writing, that such a beneficiary designation has been made by 
     the member, except that such a notification is not required 
     if the spouse has previously received such a notification 
     under this paragraph and if immediately before the new 
     designation by the member under section 1970(a) of this title 
     the spouse is not a designated beneficiary of the member for 
     any amount of insurance under this subchapter.
       ``(4) A notification required by this subsection is 
     satisfied by a good faith effort to provide the required 
     information to the spouse at the last address of the spouse 
     in the records of the Secretary concerned. Failure to provide 
     a notification required under this subsection in a timely 
     manner does not affect the validity of any election specified 
     in paragraph (1) or (2) or beneficiary designation specified 
     in paragraph (3).''.

     SEC. 5. INCREMENTS OF INSURANCE THAT MAY BE ELECTED.

       (a) Increase in Increment Amount.--Subsection (a)(3)(B) of 
     section 1967 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by 
     striking ``member or spouse'' in the last sentence and 
     inserting ``member, be evenly divisible by $50,000 and, in 
     the case of a member's spouse,''.
       (b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a) 
     shall take effect as of September 1, 2005.

  The bill (H.R. 3200), as amended, was read the third time and passed.




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