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Union Calendar No. 111

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3200

[Report No. 109–177] 

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the Servicemembers’ 

Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JULY 11, 2005

Mr. MILLER of Florida (for himself and Ms. BERKLEY) introduced the 

following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Veterans’ Affairs 

JULY 20, 2005

Additional sponsors: Mr. UDALL of New Mexico, Ms. GINNY BROWN-WAITE

of Florida, Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire, Mr. MICHAUD, Mr. EVANS, 

Mr. SNYDER, Mr. BILIRAKIS, Mr. BROWN of South Carolina, Mr. MORAN

of Kansas, Mr. FILNER, Ms. HERSETH, Mr. GUTIERREZ, Mr. STRICKLAND, Ms. CORRINE BROWN of Florida, Mr. REYES, Ms. HOOLEY, and 

Mr. BUYER

JULY 20, 2005

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the State of the Union 

and ordered to be printed 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the 

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program, and for 

other purposes.
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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 ‘‘Servicemembers’ 

5 Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005’’. 

6 SEC. 2. REPEALER. 

7 Effective as of August 31, 2005, section 1012 of divi8 sion A of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act 

9 for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Re10 lief, 2005 (Public Law 109–13; 119 Stat. 244), including 

11 the amendments made by that section, are repealed, and 

12 sections 1967, 1969, 1970, and 1977 of title 38, United 

13 States Code, shall be applied as if that section had not 

14 been enacted. 

15 SEC. 3. INCREASE FROM $250,000 TO $400,000 IN AUTOMATIC 

16 MAXIMUM COVERAGE UNDER 

17 SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 

18 AND VETERANS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE. 

19 (a) MAXIMUM UNDER SGLI.—Section 1967 of title 

20 38, United States Code, is amended—

21 (1) in subsection (a)(3)(A)(i), by striking 

22 ‘‘$250,000’’ and inserting ‘‘$400,000’’; and 

23 (2) in subsection (d), by striking ‘‘of $250,000’’ 

24 and inserting ‘‘in effect under paragraph (3)(A)(i) of 

25 that subsection’’. 
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1 (b) MAXIMUM UNDER VGLI.—Section 1977(a) of 

2 such title is amended by striking ‘‘$250,000’’ each place 

3 it appears and inserting ‘‘$400,000’’. 

4 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

5 this section shall take effect on September 1, 2005, and 

6 shall apply with respect to deaths occurring on or after 

7 that date. 

8 SEC. 4. NOTIFICATION TO MEMBER’S SPOUSE OR NEXT OF 

9 KIN OF CERTAIN ELECTIONS UNDER 

10 SERVICEMEMBER’S GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 

11 PROGRAM. 

12 Effective September 1, 2005, section 1967 of title 38, 

13 United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the 

14 following new subsection: 

15 ‘‘(f)(1)(A) Whenever a member who is eligible for in16 surance under this section executes a life insurance option 

17 specified in subparagraph (B), the Secretary concerned 

18 shall notify the member’s spouse or, if the member is un19 married, the member’s next of kin, in writing, of the exe20 cution of that option. 

21 ‘‘(B) A life insurance option referred to in subpara22 graph (A) is any of the following: 

23 ‘‘(i) An election under subsection (a)(2)(A) not 

24 to be insured under this subchapter. 
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1 ‘‘(ii) An election under subsection (a)(3)(B) for 

2 insurance of the member in an amount that is less 

3 than the maximum amount provided under sub4 section (a)(3)(A)(i). 

5 ‘‘(iii) An application under subsection (c) for in6 surance coverage under this subchapter or for a 

7 change in the amount of such insurance coverage. 

8 ‘‘(iv) In the case of a married member, a des9 ignation under section 1970(a) of this title of any 

10 person other than the spouse or a child of the mem11 ber as the beneficiary of the member for any amount 

12 of insurance under this subchapter. 

13 ‘‘(2) Whenever an unmarried member who is eligible 

14 for insurance under this section marries, the Secretary 

15 concerned shall notify the member’s spouse in writing as 

16 to whether the member is insured under this subchapter. 

17 In the case of a member who is so insured, the Secretary 

18 shall include with such notification—

19 ‘‘(A) if the member has made an election de20 scribed in paragraph (1)(B)(ii), notice that the 

21 amount of such insurance is less than the maximum 

22 amount provided under subsection (a)(3)(A)(i); and 

23 ‘‘(B) if the member has designated a bene24 ficiary other than the spouse or a child of the mem-
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1 ber for any amount of such insurance, notice that 

2 such a designation has been made. 

3 ‘‘(3)(A) Notification of a spouse under paragraph (1) 

4 or (2), or of any other person under paragraph (1), for 

5 purposes of this subsection shall consist of a good faith 

6 effort to provide information to the spouse or other person 

7 at the last address of the spouse or other person in the 

8 records of the Secretary concerned. 

9 ‘‘(B) Failure to provide such notification, or to pro10 vide such notification in a timely manner, does not affect 

11 the validity of any life insurance option referred to in 

12 paragraph (1)(B).’’. 

13 SEC. 5. INCREMENTS OF INSURANCE THAT MAY BE ELECT14 ED. 

15 (a) INCREASE IN INCREMENT AMOUNT.—Subsection 

16 (a)(3)(B) of section 1967 of title 38, United States Code, 

17 is amended by striking ‘‘member or spouse’’ in the last 

18 sentence and inserting ‘‘member, be evenly divisible by 

19 $50,000 and, in the case of a member’s spouse,’’. 

20 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

21 subsection (a) shall take effect on September 1, 2005. 
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1 SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO ELECT NEW TRAUMATIC INJURY 

2 PROTECTION. 

3 (a) OPT-OUT AUTHORITY.—Section 1980A of title 

4 38, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end 

5 of subsection (b) the following new paragraph: 

6 ‘‘(4)(A) A member may elect in writing not to be in7 sured under this section. 

8 ‘‘(B) If a member eligible for insurance under this 

9 section is not so insured by reason of an election made 

10 under subparagraph (A), the member may thereafter elect 

11 to be insured under this section upon written application 

12 by the member, proof of good health, and compliance with 

13 such other terms and conditions as may be prescribed by 

14 the Secretary. Insurance under this section upon such an 

15 election is effective upon the date of the receipt by the 

16 Secretary of such application and shall apply only with 

17 respect to injuries incurred after that date. 

18 ‘‘(C) The Secretary shall prescribe by regulation con19 ditions as to how and when elections under subparagraph 

20 (B) shall be made. Such regulations may include limiting 

21 the time for such elections to an annual open season, for 

22 a duration each year prescribed by the Secretary.’’. 

23 (b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 

24 subsection (a) shall take effect immediately after section 

25 1980A of title 38, United States Code, takes effect pursu26 ant to section 1032(d)(1) of division A of the Emergency 
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1 Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global 

2 War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (Public Law 

3 109–13; 119 Stat. 260). 
Union Calendar No. 111

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3200

[Report No. 109–177] 

A BILL

To amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance 

gram, and for other purposes. the Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance proJULY 20, 2005

Committed to the Committee of the Whole House on the 

State of the Union and ordered to be printed