I 
109TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2986 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to allow a participant in the military 
Survivor Benefit Plan who has designated an insurable interest bene-
ficiary under that plan to designate a new beneficiary upon the death 
of the previously designated beneficiary. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 20, 2005 
Mr. ANDREWS introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Armed Services 
A BILL 
To amend title 10, United States Code, to allow a participant 
in the military Survivor Benefit Plan who has designated 
an insurable interest beneficiary under that plan to des-
ignate a new beneficiary upon the death of the previously 
designated beneficiary. 
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 ‘‘Survivor Benefit Plan 
Insurable Interest Fairness Act’’.
SEC. 
2. 
MILITARY 
SURVIVOR 
BENEFIT 
PLAN 
BENE-
FICIARIES 
UNDER 
INSURABLE 
INTEREST 
COVERAGE. 
(a) AUTHORITY
TO
DESIGNATE
NEW
BENE-
FICIARY.—Section 1448(b)(1) of title 10, United States 
Code, is amended— 
(1) by inserting ‘‘under subparagraph (F)’’ in 
the second sentence of subparagraph (E) after ‘‘elec-
tion’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(F) ELECTION
OF
NEW
BENEFICIARY 
UPON DEATH OF PREVIOUS BENEFICIARY.—If 
the reason for discontinuation in the Plan is the 
death of the beneficiary, the participant in the 
Plan may designate a new beneficiary. Any 
such beneficiary must be a natural person with 
an insurable interest in the participant. Such 
an election may be made only during the 180- 
day period beginning on the date of the death 
of the previous beneficiary. Such an election 
shall be in writing, signed by the participant, 
and made in such form and manner as the Sec-
retary concerned may prescribe. Such an elec-
tion shall be effective the first day of the first
month following the month in which the election 
is received by the Secretary.’’. 
(b) TRANSITION.— 
(1) TRANSITION PERIOD.—In the case of a per-
son who made a covered insurable-interest election 
under the Survivor Benefit Plan and whose des-
ignated beneficiary under that election dies before 
the date of the enactment of this Act or during the 
18-month period beginning on such date, the time 
period applicable for purposes of the limitation in 
the third sentence of subparagraph (F) of section 
1448(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, as added 
by subsection (a), shall be the two-year period begin-
ning on the date of the enactment of this Act (rath-
er than the 180-day period specified in that sen-
tence). 
(2) 
COVERED
INSURABLE-INTEREST
ELEC-
TIONS.—For purposes of paragraph (1), a covered 
insurable-interest election is an election under sec-
tion 1448(b)(1) of title 10, United States Code, 
made before the date of the enactment of this Act, 
or during the 18-month period beginning on such 
date, by a participant in the military Survivor Ben-
efit Plan to provide an annuity under that plan to
a natural person with an insurable interest in that 
person. 
(3) SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN.—For purposes 
of this subsection, the term ‘‘Survivor Benefit Plan’’ 
means the program under subchapter II of chapter 
73 of title 10, United States Code. 
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