I 
111TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 4923 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE coverage to 
certain dependents under the age of 26. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 24, 2010 
Mr. HEINRICH introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to extend TRICARE 
coverage to certain dependents under the age of 26. 
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 ‘‘TRICARE Dependent 
Coverage Extension Act’’. 
SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF DEPENDENT COVERAGE UNDER 
TRICARE. 
(a) DEPENDENT COVERAGE.— 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
01:17 Mar 25, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00001
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4923.IH
H4923
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
(1) IN
GENERAL.—Chapter 55 of title 10, 
United States Code, is amended by adding at the 
end the following new section: 
‘‘§ 1110b. TRICARE program: Extension of dependent 
coverage 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In accordance with subsection 
(c), an individual described in subsection (b) shall be 
deemed to be a dependent (as described in section 
1072(2)(D) of this title) for purposes of TRICARE cov-
erage. 
‘‘(b) INDIVIDUAL DESCRIBED.—An individual de-
scribed in this subsection is an individual who— 
‘‘(1) with respect to a member or former mem-
ber of a uniformed service, is— 
‘‘(A) a child who has not attained the age 
of 26 and is not eligible to enroll in an eligible 
employer-sponsored plan (as defined in section 
5000A(f)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code of 
1986); or 
‘‘(B) a person who— 
‘‘(i) is placed in the legal custody of 
the member or former member as a result 
of an order of a court of competent juris-
diction in the United States (or possession 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
01:17 Mar 25, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00002
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4923.IH
H4923
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
of the United States) for a period of at 
least 12 consecutive months; 
‘‘(ii) has not attained the age of 26; 
‘‘(iii) is not eligible to enroll in an eli-
gible employer-sponsored plan (as defined 
in section 5000A(f)(2) of the Internal Rev-
enue Code of 1986); 
‘‘(iv) resides with the member or 
former member unless separated by the ne-
cessity of military service or to receive in-
stitutional care as a result of disability or 
incapacitation or under such other cir-
cumstances as the administering Secretary 
may by regulation prescribe; 
‘‘(v) is not otherwise a dependent of a 
member or a former member under any 
subparagraph of section 1072(2) of this 
title; and 
‘‘(vi) is not the child of a dependent 
who is described in subparagraph (D) or 
(I) of section 1072(2) and is a covered 
beneficiary; and 
‘‘(2) meets other criteria specified in regula-
tions prescribed by the Secretary. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
01:17 Mar 25, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00003
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4923.IH
H4923
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
‘‘(c) PREMIUM.—(1) The Secretary shall prescribe by 
regulation a premium for TRICARE coverage provided 
pursuant to this section to an individual described in sub-
section (b). 
‘‘(2) The monthly amount of the premium in effect 
for a month for TRICARE coverage pursuant to this sec-
tion shall be an amount not to exceed the cost of coverage 
that the Secretary determines on an appropriate actuarial 
basis. 
‘‘(3) The Secretary shall prescribe the requirements 
and procedures applicable to the payment of premiums 
under this subsection. 
‘‘(4) Amounts collected as premiums under this para-
graph shall be credited to the appropriation available for 
the Defense Health Program Account under section 1100 
of this title, shall be merged with sums in such Account 
that are available for the fiscal year in which collected, 
and shall be available under subsection (b) of such section 
for such fiscal year. 
‘‘(d) TRICARE COVERAGE DEFINED.—For purposes 
of this section, the term ‘TRICARE coverage’ means 
health care to which a dependent described in section 
1072(2)(D) of this title is entitled under section 1076d, 
1076e, 1079, 1086, or 1097.’’. 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
01:17 Mar 25, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00004
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6201
E:\BILLS\H4923.IH
H4923
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS
(2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec-
tions at the beginning of such chapter is amended 
by inserting after the item relating to section 1110a 
the following new item: 
‘‘1110b. TRICARE program: Extension of dependent coverage.’’. 
(b) CONFORMING AMENDMENT.—Paragraph (1) of 
section 1086(c) of title 10, United States Code, is amend-
ed by inserting after ‘‘of this title’’ the following: ‘‘(or an 
individual described in section 1110b(b) who meets the re-
quirements for a dependent under paragraph (1) or (2) 
of such section 1076(b))’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this section shall take effect on October 1, 2010. 
Æ 
VerDate Nov 24 2008 
01:17 Mar 25, 2010
Jkt 089200
PO 00000
Frm 00005
Fmt 6652
Sfmt 6301
E:\BILLS\H4923.IH
H4923
jbell on DSKDVH8Z91PROD with BILLS