[Congressional Record Volume 163, Number 127 (Thursday, July 27, 2017)]
[Senate]
[Page S4576]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

  SA 659. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed by 
him to the bill H.R. 2810, to authorize appropriations for fiscal year 
2018 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for military 
construction, and for defense activities of the Department of Energy, 
to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year, and for 
other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as follows:

         At the appropriate place in title VI, insert the 
     following:

     SEC. ___. ONE-YEAR PERIOD FOR ENROLLMENT IN THE SURVIVOR 
                   BENEFIT PLAN FOR ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE 
                   A SAME-SEX SPOUSE UNDER AN EARLIER OR CURRENT 
                   MARRIAGE.

         (a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of 
     law, any individual eligible for participation, but not 
     participating, in the Survivor Benefit Plan as of the date of 
     the enactment of this Act who seeks to participate in the 
     Plan for the benefit of the same-sex spouse of the individual 
     under a marriage entered into or recognized as valid before 
     that date may elect to participate in the plan at any time 
     during the one-year period beginning on that date in 
     accordance with section 1448(a)(5) of title 10, United States 
     Code.
         (b) Outreach on Election to Participate for Spouses Under 
     Marriage After Eligibility.--The Secretary of Defense shall 
     undertake an active campaign of outreach designed to inform 
     individuals who are or may become eligible for participation 
     in the Survivor Benefit Plan of the availability of the 
     election to participate in the Plan under section 1448(a)(5) 
     of title 10, United States Code, for individuals who marry, 
     including individuals with same-sex spouses, after becoming 
     eligible to participate in the Plan.
         (c) Survivor Benefit Plan Defined.--In this section, the 
     term ``Survivor Benefit Plan'' means the benefit plan 
     established by subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 10, 
     United States Code.
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