[Congressional Record (Bound Edition), Volume 151 (2005), Part 11]
[Extensions of Remarks]
[Page 15559]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]




      SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005

                                 ______
                                 

                            HON. JEFF MILLER

                               of florida

                    in the house of representatives

                         Monday, July 11, 2005

  Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, I am proud to introduce H.R. 3200 
the Service
members' Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005. Honorable 
Shelley Berkley, Ranking Member of the Subcommittee on Disability 
Assistance and Memorial Affairs, joins me as an original cosponsor of 
the bill.
  H.R. 3200 would amend and make permanent certain provisions of Public 
Law 109-13, the War Supplemental, as they pertain to the 
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance (SGLI) and Veterans' Group Life 
Insurance (VGLI) programs, which expire on September 30, 2005.
  Specifically, this bill would make permanent the maximum increases in 
coverage for both Servicemembers' and Veterans' Group Life Insurance 
from $250,000 to $400,000, and make permanent the increments of SGLI 
coverage a servicemember may elect from $10,000 to $50,000. It would 
also require the military service Secretary concerned to notify a 
servicemember's spouse or an unmarried servicemember's next-of-kin, in 
writing, if the servicemember declines coverage or chooses an amount of 
coverage less than the maximum, as well as ensure that a 
servicemember's spouse be notified if the servicemember designates 
someone other than the spouse or child as the policy beneficiary. 
Finally, the bill would amend the new Traumatic Injury Protection 
program, established in Public Law 109-13, to allow a servicemember to 
opt out of the program.
  Mr. Speaker, Congress recognized the need to enhance VA insurance 
benefits provided to our servicemen and women and did so in the 
Supplemental. This bill builds on the provisions enacted in Public Law 
109-13 and ensures that servicemembers are provided with adequate 
insurance options to protect their families and loved ones.
  I urge my colleagues to support this bill.

                          ____________________