I 

116TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 199 

To terminate certain lifetime benefits provided to former Members of 

Congress, and for other purposes. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

JANUARY 3, 2019 

Mr. NORMAN introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on House Administration, and in addition to the Committees on 

Oversight and Reform, and Rules, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions 

as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To terminate certain lifetime benefits provided to former 

Members of Congress, 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 ‘‘Stop Congressional 

5 Retirees Accessing Perks Act’’ or the ‘‘SCRAP Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PROHIBITING PAYMENT OF GRATUITIES TO SUR7 VIVORS OF MEMBERS OF CONGRESS. 

8 (a) PROHIBITION.— 


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1 (1) IN GENERAL.—No payment may be made 

2 from the applicable accounts of the House of Rep3 resentatives, the contingent fund of the Senate, or 

4 any other appropriated funds for a death gratuity 

5 payment to the widow, widower, or heirs-at-law of 

6 any Member of Congress who dies after the com7 mencement of the Congress to which the Member 

8 has been elected. 

9 (2) WAIVER AUTHORITY.—The Speaker and the 

10 Minority Leader of the House of Representatives 

11 may jointly, on a case-by-case basis, grant a waiver 

12 of paragraph (1) with respect to the payment of a 

13 death gratuity described in such paragraph. 

14 (b) NO EFFECT ON OTHER PAYMENTS TO SUR15 VIVORS.—Nothing in subsection (a) shall be construed to 

16 prohibit or affect the payment to any individual of any 

17 unpaid balance or salary or other sums due to a Member 

18 of Congress who dies after the commencement of the Con19 gress to which the Member has been elected. 

20 (c) DEFINITION.—For purposes of this section, a 

21 ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means a Senator or a Representa22 tive in, or Delegate or Resident Commissioner to, the Con23 gress. 


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1 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—This section shall apply with 

2 respect to any death occurring during the One Hundred 

3 Seventeenth Congress or any succeeding Congress. 

4 SEC. 3. TERMINATION OF BENEFITS UNDER FEDERAL RE5 TIREMENT PROGRAMS. 

6 (a) TERMINATION OF RETIREMENT COVERAGE OF

7 MEMBERS OF CONGRESS UNDER FEDERAL EMPLOYEES’ 

8 RETIREMENT SYSTEM.— 

9 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter II of chapter 84 

10 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by insert11 ing after section 8425 the following: 

12 ‘‘§ 8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage 

13 of Members of Congress 

14 ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other pro15 vision of this chapter, effective as of the first day of the 

16 One Hundred Seventeenth Congress— 

17 ‘‘(1) in the case of an individual who first be18 comes a Member before such day and who, on such 

19 first day, has served as a Member for a period of 10 

20 years (consecutively or nonconsecutively) or less— 

21 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

22 this chapter for any further period of time after 

23 such day; and 

24 ‘‘(B) no further Government contributions 

25 or deductions from basic pay may be made with 


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1 respect to such Member for deposit in the 

2 Treasury of the United States to the credit of 

3 the Fund; and 

4 ‘‘(2) in the case of an individual who first be5 comes a Member on or after such day— 

6 ‘‘(A) such Member shall not be subject to 

7 this chapter; and 

8 ‘‘(B) no Government contributions or de9 ductions from basic pay may be made with re10 spect to such Member for deposit in the Treas11 ury of the United States to the credit of the 

12 Fund. 

13 ‘‘(b) PRIOR RIGHTS NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in 

14 subsection (a) shall be considered to nullify, modify, or 

15 otherwise affect any right, entitlement, or benefit under 

16 this chapter with respect to any Member covering any pe17 riod prior to the first day of the One Hundred Seventeenth 

18 Congress. 

19 ‘‘(c) RIGHT TO PARTICIPATE IN THRIFT SAVINGS

20 PLAN NOT AFFECTED.—Nothing in subsection (a) or (b) 

21 shall affect the eligibility of a Member to participate in 

22 the Thrift Savings Plan in accordance with otherwise ap23 plicable provisions of law. 

24 ‘‘(d) REGULATIONS.— 


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1 ‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Any regulations necessary 

2 to carry out this section may— 

3 ‘‘(A) except with respect to matters under 

4 subparagraph (B), be prescribed by the Direc5 tor of the Office of Personnel Management; and 

6 ‘‘(B) with respect to matters relating to 

7 the Thrift Savings Plan, be prescribed by the 

8 Executive Director (as defined by section 

9 8401(13)). 

10 ‘‘(2) REFUNDS.—Notwithstanding subsection 

11 (b), the regulations under paragraph (1)(A) shall, in 

12 the case of a Member who has not completed at 

13 least 5 years of civilian service as of the first day 

14 of the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress, provide 

15 that the lump-sum credit shall be payable to such 

16 Member to the same extent and in the same manner 

17 as if such Member satisfied paragraphs (1) through 

18 (4) of section 8424(a) as of such day. 

19 ‘‘(e) EXCLUSIONS.—For purposes of this section, the 

20 term ‘Member’ does not include the Vice President.’’. 

21 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec22 tions at the beginning of chapter 84 of title 5, 

23 United States Code, is amended by inserting after 

24 the item relating to section 8425 the following: 

‘‘8425a. Termination of further retirement coverage of Members of Congress.’’. 


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1 (b) TERMINATION OF FORMER MEMBER PARTICIPA2 TION IN THE FEDERAL EMPLOYEES HEALTH BENEFITS

3 PROGRAM.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—Notwithstanding any other 

5 provision of law, an individual who serves as a Mem6 ber of Congress shall not be eligible to enroll in, or 

7 receive health benefits under, the Federal Employees 

8 Health Benefits Program under chapter 89 of title 

9 5, United States Code, including the dental and vi10 sion benefits provided under chapters 89A and 89B 

11 of such title, as an annuitant on the basis of service 

12 as a Member of Congress. Nothing in the previous 

13 sentence may be construed to prohibit an individual 

14 from enrolling in or receiving health benefits under 

15 such Program as an annuitant on the basis of the 

16 individual’s creditable service under title 5, United 

17 States Code, in a position other than as a Member 

18 of Congress. 

19 (2) DEFINITION OF MEMBER OF CONGRESS.— 

20 The term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ has the meaning 

21 given that term in section 2106 of title 5, United 

22 States Code, but does not include the Vice Presi23 dent. 

24 (3) APPLICATION.—This subsection shall apply 

25 with respect to an individual who— 


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1 (A) serves as a Member of Congress dur2 ing the One Hundred Seventeenth Congress or 

3 any succeeding Congress; and 

4 (B) on the date that such service com5 mences in the applicable Congress, has served 

6 as a Member for a period of 10 years (consecu7 tively or nonconsecutively) or less. 

8 SEC. 4. BENEFITS AND SERVICES PROVIDED TO FORMER 

9 MEMBERS OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTA10 TIVES. 

11 (a) BENEFITS AND SERVICES DESCRIBED.—The 

12 House of Representatives may not make any of the fol13 lowing benefits and services available to an individual who 

14 becomes a former Member of the House (except to the 

15 extent such benefits and services are made available to 

16 members of the public) and who is a registered lobbyist 

17 under the Lobbying Disclosure Act of 1995: 

18 (1) Access to the Hall of the House. 

19 (2) Access to athletic facilities and other facili20 ties available for the use of Members of the House. 

21 (3) Access to the Members’ Dining Room lo22 cated in the House of Representatives wing of the 

23 United States Capitol. 

24 (4) Access to parking spaces. 


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1 (5) Access to material from the House docu2 ment room. 

3 (6) Use of the collections in the House Legisla4 tive Resource Center without borrowing privileges. 

5 (b) WAIVER AUTHORITY.— 

6 (1) AUTHORITY TO WAIVE ELIMINATION OF

7 BENEFIT OR SERVICE.—The Speaker and the Minor8 ity Leader of the House of Representatives may 

9 jointly, on a case-by-case basis, grant a waiver of 

10 subsection (a) with respect to a former Member of 

11 the House and a benefit or service described in such 

12 subsection. 

13 (2) PUBLICATION IN CONGRESSIONAL

14 RECORD.—If the Speaker and the Minority Leader 

15 jointly grant a waiver under paragraph (1) to make 

16 a benefit or service available to a former Member, 

17 the Speaker and Minority Leader shall, not later 

18 than 24 hours after the waiver is granted, caused to 

19 have published in the Congressional Record a state20 ment identifying the former Member and the benefit 

21 or service involved. 

22 SEC. 5. RULE OF CONSTRUCTION. 

23 Nothing in this Act or any amendment made by this 

24 Act may be construed to prohibit a former Member of 


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1 Congress from interacting with Members of Congress to 

2 the extent permitted under law. 

3 SEC. 6. DEFINITION. 

4 In this Act, the term ‘‘Member of Congress’’ means 

5 a Senator or a Representative in, or Delegate or Resident 

6 Commissioner to, the Congress. 

Æ 


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