Title: Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act
This bill prohibits the termination of federal-employee dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance coverage as a result of unpaid premiums or other periodic charges in the event of a lapse in appropriations that results in an employee being furloughed or an excepted employee working without pay. This includes supplemental dental, vision, and long-term-care insurance policies.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2004 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2004

 To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental 
 and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal 
  employees affected by a Government shutdown, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 1, 2019

  Mr. Cummings (for himself, Mr. Connolly, Mr. Meadows, Ms. Clark of 
  Massachusetts, Mr. Young, and Mr. Taylor) introduced the following 
   bill; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental 
 and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal 
  employees affected by a Government shutdown, 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 ``Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage 
During Shutdowns Act''.

SEC. 2. CONTINUING SUPPLEMENTAL DENTAL AND VISION BENEFITS AND LONG-
              TERM CARE INSURANCE COVERAGE DURING A GOVERNMENT 
              SHUTDOWN.

    (a) In General.--Title 5, United States Code, is amended--
            (1) in section 8956, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Coverage under a dental benefits plan under this chapter for 
any employee enrolled in such a plan and who, as a result of a lapse in 
appropriations, is furloughed or excepted from furlough and working 
without pay shall continue during such lapse and may not be cancelled 
as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due to 
such lapse.'';
            (2) in section 8986, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(d) Coverage under a vision benefits plan under this chapter for 
any employee enrolled in such a plan and who, as a result of a lapse in 
appropriations, is furloughed or excepted from furlough and working 
without pay shall continue during such lapse and may not be cancelled 
as a result of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due to 
such lapse.''; and
            (3) in section 9003, by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Effect of Government Shutdown.--Coverage under a master 
contract under this chapter for long-term care insurance for an 
employee or member of the uniformed services enrolled under such 
contract and who, due to a lapse in appropriations, is furloughed or 
excepted from furlough and working without pay shall continue during 
such lapse and may not be cancelled as a result of nonpayment of 
premiums or other periodic charges due to such lapse.''.
    (b) Regulations.--The Director of the Office of Personnel 
Management shall prescribe regulations under which premiums for 
supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance 
under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States 
Code, (as amended by subsection (a)) that are unpaid by an employee or 
member of the uniformed services (as the case may be), as a result of 
that employee or member being furloughed or excepted from furlough and 
working without pay as a result of a lapse in appropriations, are paid 
to the applicable carrier from back pay made available to the employee 
or member as soon as practicable upon the end of such lapse.
    (c) Application.--The amendments made by subsection (a) shall apply 
to any contract for supplemental dental, supplemental vision, or long-
term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of 
title 5, United States Code, entered into before, on, or after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
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