I 

108TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 1877

To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to make available 

to Federal employees the option of obtaining health benefits coverage 

for dependent parents. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 30, 2003

Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Government Reform 

A BILL

To amend chapter 89 of title 5, United States Code, to 

make available to Federal employees the option of obtaining health benefits coverage for dependent parents.

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

3 SECTION 1. NEW ENROLLMENT OPTION. 

4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subsection (a) of section 8905 of 

5 title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows: 

6 ‘‘(a) An employee may enroll in an approved health 

7 benefits plan described by section 8903 or 8903a either—

8 ‘‘(1) as an individual; 

9 ‘‘(2) for self and family; or 
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1 ‘‘(3) for self and extended family.’’. 

2 (b) MEMBER OF EXTENDED FAMILY DEFINED.—

3 Section 8901 of title 5, United States Code, is amended 

4 by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (10), by strik5 ing the period at the end of paragraph (11) and inserting 

6 ‘‘; and’’, and by adding at the end the following: 

7 ‘‘(12) ‘member of the extended family’ means, 

8 with respect to an employee or annuitant, any indi9 vidual who is—

10 ‘‘(A) a member of the family of such em11 ployee or annuitant; or 

12 ‘‘(B) a dependent parent of such employee 

13 or annuitant.’’. 

14 (c) TEST FOR DEPENDENCY OF A PARENT.—Para15 graph (9) of section 8901 of title 5, United States Code, 

16 is amended by striking ‘‘(9)’’ and inserting ‘‘(9)(A)’’, by 

17 inserting ‘‘and’’ after the semicolon, and by adding at the 

18 end the following: 

19 ‘‘(B) ‘dependent’, in the case of any parent, 

20 means a parent who is at least 55 years of age at 

21 the time of enrollment and who satisfies such other 

22 tests of dependency as the Office shall by regulation 

23 prescribe based on section 152 of the Internal Rev24 enue Code of 1986, but does not include an indi25 vidual who—
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1 ‘‘(i) is entitled to benefits under part A of 

2 title XVIII of the Social Security Act; or 

3 ‘‘(ii) has adequate health benefits under 

4 another group health plan, as determined under 

5 such regulations;’’. 

6 SEC. 2. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT CONTRIBU7 TIONS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—Paragraph (1) of section 8906(a) 

9 of title 5, United States Code, is amended—

10 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara11 graph (A); 

12 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub13 paragraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 

14 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol15 lowing: 

16 ‘‘(C) enrollments under this chapter for self and 

17 extended family.’’. 

18 (b) FIRST-YEAR RULE.—The Office of Personnel 

19 Management shall by regulation establish the method by 

20 which the provisions of section 8906 of title 5, United 

21 States Code, relating to computation of Government con22 tributions, shall be applied in connection with coverage for 

23 self and extended family during the first year in which 

24 such coverage is provided. 
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1 SEC. 3. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS. 

2 Title 5, United States Code, is amended—

3 (1) in section 8902(e) by striking ‘‘exclusive of 

4 family members,’’ and inserting ‘‘exclusive of family 

5 members and dependent parents,’’; 

6 (2) in subsections (g), (j) and (k)(1) of section 

7 8902, section 8902a(a)(1)(B), and section 8903(1) 

8 by inserting ‘‘dependent parent,’’ after ‘‘family mem9 ber,’’ each place it appears; 

10 (3)(A) in section 8903(1) and the first sentence 

11 of section 8913(c) by inserting ‘‘dependent parents,’’ 

12 after ‘‘members of their families,’’; 

13 (B) in section 8903(3) by striking ‘‘and mem14 bers of their families,’’ and inserting ‘‘members of 

15 their families, and their dependent parents,’’; and 

16 (C) in section 8903a(b)(4) by striking ‘‘fami17 lies.’’ and inserting ‘‘families and their dependent 

18 parents.’’; 

19 (4) in subsections (b)(2) and (f) of section 8905 

20 by inserting ‘‘or extended family’’ after ‘‘family’’; 

21 (5) in section 8905(e) by adding at the end the 

22 following: ‘‘The Office shall by regulation ensure 

23 that the purposes of this subsection continue to be 

24 carried after coverage for self and extended family 

25 becomes available under this chapter.’’; 
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1 (6) in section 8906(e)(1)(A) and the second 

2 sentence of 8913(c) by inserting ‘‘or dependent par3 ents’’ after ‘‘family’’; and 

4 (7) in section 8907(b) by inserting ‘‘or depend5 ent parents’’ after ‘‘family members’’ each place it 

6 appears. 

7 SEC. 4. EFFECTIVE DATE. 

8 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with 

9 respect to coverage during years beginning at least 6 

10 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

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