Title: Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act
Policy area: Armed Forces and National Security

Summary:
Military Surviving Spouses Equity Act
This bill updates the Department of Defense's Survivor Benefit Plan and how it operates in relation to other benefits. The plan currently provides a monthly annuity (based on a percentage of a service member's retirement pay) to an eligible beneficiary upon the death of the service member. Currently, if a surviving spouse is also entitled to dependency and indemnity compensation, the annuity paid under the plan will be reduced. The bill repeals certain provisions that require the offset of the plan annuity from amounts paid in dependency and indemnity compensation.
Under current law, upon the request of the surviving spouse, the military branch concerned is authorized to pay an annuity to the member's dependent children instead of to the surviving spouse. The bill restores the annuity to an eligible spouse who previously elected to transfer payment to a dependent child.


[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 553 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 553

 To amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the requirement for 
  reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan for 
military surviving spouses to offset the receipt of veterans dependency 
          and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 15, 2019

 Mr. Wilson of South Carolina (for himself and Mr. Yarmuth) introduced 
   the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Armed 
                                Services

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 10, United States Code, to repeal the requirement for 
  reduction of survivor annuities under the Survivor Benefit Plan for 
military surviving spouses to offset the receipt of veterans dependency 
          and indemnity compensation, and for other purposes.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Military Surviving Spouses Equity 
Act''.

SEC. 2. REPEAL OF REQUIREMENT OF REDUCTION OF SURVIVOR BENEFIT PLAN 
              SURVIVOR ANNUITIES BY AMOUNT OF DEPENDENCY AND INDEMNITY 
              COMPENSATION.

    (a) Repeal.--
            (1) Repeal.--Subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 10, 
        United States Code, is amended as follows:
                    (A) In section 1450, by striking subsection (c).
                    (B) In section 1451(c)--
                            (i) by striking paragraph (2); and
                            (ii) by redesignating paragraphs (3) and 
                        (4) as paragraphs (2) and (3), respectively.
            (2) Conforming amendments.--Such subchapter is further 
        amended as follows:
                    (A) In section 1450--
                            (i) by striking subsection (e); and
                            (ii) by striking subsection (k).
                    (B) In section 1451(g)(1), by striking subparagraph 
                (C).
                    (C) In section 1452--
                            (i) in subsection (f)(2), by striking 
                        ``does not apply--'' and all that follows and 
                        inserting ``does not apply in the case of a 
                        deduction made through administrative error.''; 
                        and
                            (ii) by striking subsection (g).
                    (D) In section 1455(c), by striking ``, 
                1450(k)(2),''.
    (b) Prohibition on Retroactive Benefits.--No benefits may be paid 
to any person for any period before the effective date provided under 
subsection (f) by reason of the amendments made by subsection (a).
    (c) Prohibition on Recoupment of Certain Amounts Previously 
Refunded to SBP Recipients.--A surviving spouse who is or has been in 
receipt of an annuity under the Survivor Benefit Plan under subchapter 
II of chapter 73 of title 10, United States Code, that is in effect 
before the effective date provided under subsection (f) and that is 
adjusted by reason of the amendments made by subsection (a) and who has 
received a refund of retired pay under section 1450(e) of title 10, 
United States Code, shall not be required to repay such refund to the 
United States.
    (d) Repeal of Authority for Optional Annuity for Dependent 
Children.--Section 1448(d)(2) of such title is amended--
            (1) by striking ``Dependent children.--'' and all that 
        follows through ``In the case of a member described in 
        paragraph (1),'' and inserting ``Dependent children.--In the 
        case of a member described in paragraph (1),''; and
            (2) by striking subparagraph (B).
    (e) Restoration of Eligibility for Previously Eligible Spouses.--
The Secretary of the military department concerned shall restore 
annuity eligibility to any eligible surviving spouse who, in 
consultation with the Secretary, previously elected to transfer payment 
of such annuity to a surviving child or children under the provisions 
of section 1448(d)(2)(B) of title 10, United States Code, as in effect 
on the day before the effective date provided under subsection (f). 
Such eligibility shall be restored whether or not payment to such child 
or children subsequently was terminated due to loss of dependent status 
or death. For the purposes of this subsection, an eligible spouse 
includes a spouse who was previously eligible for payment of such 
annuity and is not remarried, or remarried after having attained age 
55, or whose second or subsequent marriage has been terminated by 
death, divorce or annulment.
    (f) Effective Date.--This section and the amendments made by this 
section shall take effect on the later of--
            (1) October 1, 2019; and
            (2) the first day of the first month that begins after the 
        date of the enactment of this Act.
                                 <all>