I 

109TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 493 

To amend title 37, United States Code, to establish an allowance to cover 

the cost of premiums for Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage 

for members of the Armed Forces serving in combat zones, for junior 

enlisted members, and for certain other members. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 1, 2005 

Mr. REYES introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee 

on Armed Services 

A BILL 

To amend title 37, United States Code, to establish an 

allowance to cover the cost of premiums for 

Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance coverage for 

members of the Armed Forces serving in combat zones, 

for junior enlisted members, and for certain other members. 

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 ‘‘Ruben Estrella-Soto 

5 Act of 2005’’. 
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1 SEC. 2. ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS TO COVER 

2 MONTHLY DEDUCTION FROM BASIC PAY FOR 

3 SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 

4 COVERAGE. 

5 (a) ALLOWANCE TO COVER SGLI DEDUCTIONS.— 

6 Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by 

7 adding at the end the following new section: 

8 ‘‘§ 437. Allowance to cover monthly deduction from 

9 basic pay for Servicemembers’ Group Life 

10 Insurance coverage 

11 ‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE REQUIRED.—The Secretary con12 cerned shall provide an allowance under this section to a 

13 member of the armed forces who has obtained insurance 

14 coverage for the member under the Servicemembers’ 

15 Group Life Insurance program for each month during 

16 which any of the following eligibility criteria apply with 

17 respect to the member, as determined by the Secretary 

18 concerned: 

19 ‘‘(1) The member served at any time during the 

20 month in an area for which special pay is available 

21 under section 310 of this title (in this subsection re22 ferred to as a ‘combat zone’). 

23 ‘‘(2) The member underwent training at any 

24 time during the month for immediate deployment to 

25 a combat zone. 
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1 ‘‘(3) The member underwent outprocessing at 

2 any time during the month immediately following re3 turn from a combat zone. 

4 ‘‘(4) The member was in transit at any time 

5 during the month to or from a combat zone, includ6 ing transit in connection with authorized leave from 

7 the combat zone. 

8 ‘‘(5) The member was hospitalized at any time 

9 during the month as a result of a wound, injury, ill10 ness, or other medical condition incurred or aggra11 vated in a combat zone. 

12 ‘‘(6) The member is serving in pay grade E–1 

13 through E–4. 

14 ‘‘(b) AMOUNT OF ALLOWANCE.—The amount of the 

15 allowance for a member for a month shall be equal to the 

16 amount of the deduction made for that month from the 

17 basic pay of the member for the level of Servicemembers’ 

18 Group Life Insurance coverage obtained by the member 

19 under section 1967 of title 38. 

20 ‘‘(c) NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF ALLOWANCE.—To 

21 the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned 

22 shall give members information the regarding the fol23 lowing: 
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1 ‘‘(1) The availability of the allowance under this 

2 section for members insured under the 

3 Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program. 

4 ‘‘(2) The ability of members who elected not to 

5 be insured under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insur6 ance, or elected less than the authorized maximum 

7 coverage, to obtain additional coverage as provided 

8 in section 1967(c) of title 38.’’. 

9 (b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 

10 at the beginning of chapter 7 of title 37, United States 

11 Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 

12 item: 

‘‘437. Allowance to cover monthly deduction from basic pay for Servicemembers’ 

Group Life Insurance coverage.’’. 

13 (c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 437 of title 37, 

14 United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 

15 apply to months beginning after September 30, 2005. 

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