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 mem-
bers. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ruben Estrella-Soto 
Act of 2005’’.
SEC. 2. ALLOWANCE FOR CERTAIN MEMBERS TO COVER 
MONTHLY DEDUCTION FROM BASIC PAY FOR 
SERVICEMEMBERS’ GROUP LIFE INSURANCE 
COVERAGE. 
(a) ALLOWANCE TO COVER SGLI DEDUCTIONS.— 
Chapter 7 of title 37, United States Code, is amended by 
adding at the end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 437. Allowance to cover monthly deduction from 
basic pay for Servicemembers’ Group Life 
Insurance coverage 
‘‘(a) ALLOWANCE REQUIRED.—The Secretary con-
cerned shall provide an allowance under this section to a 
member of the armed forces who has obtained insurance 
coverage for the member under the Servicemembers’ 
Group Life Insurance program for each month during 
which any of the following eligibility criteria apply with 
respect to the member, as determined by the Secretary 
concerned: 
‘‘(1) The member served at any time during the 
month in an area for which special pay is available 
under section 310 of this title (in this subsection re-
ferred to as a ‘combat zone’). 
‘‘(2) The member underwent training at any 
time during the month for immediate deployment to 
a combat zone.
‘‘(3) The member underwent outprocessing at 
any time during the month immediately following re-
turn from a combat zone. 
‘‘(4) The member was in transit at any time 
during the month to or from a combat zone, includ-
ing transit in connection with authorized leave from 
the combat zone. 
‘‘(5) The member was hospitalized at any time 
during the month as a result of a wound, injury, ill-
ness, or other medical condition incurred or aggra-
vated in a combat zone. 
‘‘(6) The member is serving in pay grade E–1 
through E–4. 
‘‘(b) AMOUNT OF ALLOWANCE.—The amount of the 
allowance for a member for a month shall be equal to the 
amount of the deduction made for that month from the 
basic pay of the member for the level of Servicemembers’ 
Group Life Insurance coverage obtained by the member 
under section 1967 of title 38. 
‘‘(c) NOTICE OF AVAILABILITY OF ALLOWANCE.—To 
the maximum extent practicable, the Secretary concerned 
shall give members information the regarding the fol-
lowing:
‘‘(1) The availability of the allowance under this 
section 
for 
members 
insured 
under 
the 
Servicemembers’ Group Life Insurance program. 
‘‘(2) The ability of members who elected not to 
be insured under Servicemembers’ Group Life Insur-
ance, or elected less than the authorized maximum 
coverage, to obtain additional coverage as provided 
in section 1967(c) of title 38.’’. 
(b) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sections 
at the beginning of chapter 7 of title 37, United States 
Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new 
item: 
‘‘437. Allowance to cover monthly deduction from basic pay for Servicemembers’ 
Group Life Insurance coverage.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—Section 437 of title 37, 
United States Code, as added by subsection (a), shall 
apply to months beginning after September 30, 2005. 
Æ