II 

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. 

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. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring FEDVIP 

5 and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act’’. 


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•S 973 IS

1 SEC. 2. CONTINUING SUPPLEMENTAL DENTAL AND VISION 

2 BENEFITS AND LONG-TERM CARE INSUR3 ANCE COVERAGE DURING A GOVERNMENT 

4 SHUTDOWN. 

5 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart G of part III of title 5, 

6 United States Code, is amended— 

7 (1) in section 8956, by adding at the end the 

8 following: 

9 ‘‘(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a dental 

10 benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 

11 status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage 

12 under the dental benefits plan shall continue during the 

13 lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a re14 sult of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges 

15 due to the lapse in appropriations.’’; 

16 (2) in section 8986, by adding at the end the 

17 following: 

18 ‘‘(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a vision 

19 benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 

20 status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage 

21 under the vision benefits plan shall continue during the 

22 lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a re23 sult of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges 

24 due to the lapse in appropriations.’’; and 

25 (3) in section 9003, by adding at the end the 

26 following: 


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1 ‘‘(e) EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.—With 

2 respect to an employee or member of the uniformed serv3 ices enrolled under a master contract for long-term care 

4 insurance under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 

5 status because of a lapse in appropriations, coverage 

6 under the master contract shall continue during the lapse 

7 in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a result 

8 of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due 

9 to the lapse in appropriations.’’. 

10 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Director of the Office of 

11 Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations under 

12 which premiums for supplemental dental, supplemental vi13 sion, or long-term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, 

14 or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States Code, (as 

15 amended by subsection (a)) that are unpaid by an em16 ployee or member of the uniformed services (as the case 

17 may be), as a result of that employee or member being 

18 placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropria19 tions, are paid to the applicable carrier from back pay 

20 made available to the employee or member as soon as 

21 practicable upon the end of the lapse in appropriations. 

22 (c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by sub23 section (a) shall apply to any contract for supplemental 

24 dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance 

25 under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, 


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•S 973 IS

1 United States Code, entered into before, on, or after the 

2 date of enactment of this Act. 

Æ 


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