I

106TH CONGRESS

1ST SESSION H. R. 2096

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

JUNE 9, 1999

Mr. ENGEL 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. SHORT TITLE.

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Federal Family Health

5 Coverage Act of 1999’’.

6 SEC. 2. NEW ENROLLMENT OPTION.

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

8 title 5, United States Code, is amended to read as follows:
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1 ‘‘(a) An employee may enroll in an approved health

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

3 ‘‘(1) as an individual;

4 ‘‘(2) for self and family; or

5 ‘‘(3) for self and extended family.’’.

6 (b) MEMBER OF EXTENDED FAMILY DEFINED.—

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

8 by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of paragraph (10), by strik9 ing the period at the end of paragraph (11) and inserting

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

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

12 with respect to an employee or annuitant, any indi13 vidual who is—

14 ‘‘(A) a member of the family of such em15 ployee or annuitant; or

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

17 or annuitant.’’.

18 (c) TEST FOR DEPENDENCY OF A PARENT.—Para19 graph (9) of section 8901 of title 5, United States Code,

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

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

22 end the following:

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

24 means a parent at least half of whose support is

25 contributed by the employee or annuitant involved,
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1 as determined under regulations prescribed by the

2 Office, but does not include an individual who—

3 ‘‘(i) is entitled to benefits under part A of

4 title XVIII of the Social Security Act; or

5 ‘‘(ii) has adequate health benefits under

6 another group health plan, as determined under

7 such regulations;’’.

8 SEC. 3. DETERMINATION OF GOVERNMENT CONTRIBU9 TIONS.

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

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

12 (1) by striking ‘‘and’’ at the end of subpara13 graph (A);

14 (2) by striking the period at the end of sub15 paragraph (B) and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and

16 (3) by inserting after subparagraph (B) the fol17 lowing:

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

19 extended family.’’.

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

21 Management shall by regulation establish the method by

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

23 States Code, relating to computation of Government con24 tributions, shall be applied in connection with coverage for
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1 self and extended family during the first year in which

2 such coverage is provided.

3 SEC. 4. TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.

4 Title 5, United States Code, is amended—

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

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

7 members and dependent parents,’’;

8 (2) in the first sentence of section 8902(g), sub9 sections (a)(1)(B), (j) and (k)(1) of section 8902,

10 and section 8903(1) by inserting ‘‘dependent par11 ent,’’ after ‘‘family member,’’;

12 (3) in subsections (b)(2) and (f) of section 8905

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

14 (4) in subsection (e) of section 8905 by adding

15 at the end the following: ‘‘The Office shall by regula16 tion ensure that the purposes of this subsection con17 tinue to be carried after coverage for self and ex18 tended family becomes available under this chap19 ter.’’;

20 (5) in sections 8906(e)(1)(A) and 8913(c) by

21 inserting ‘‘or extended family’’ after ‘‘family’’; and

22 (6) in section 8907(b) by inserting ‘‘or depend23 ent parents’’ after ‘‘family members’’ each place it

24 appears.
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1 SEC. 5. EFFECTIVE DATE.

2 The amendments made by this Act shall apply with

3 respect to coverage during years beginning at least 6

4 months after the date of enactment of this Act.

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