Ensuring FEDVIP and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act

II 116TH CONGRESS 1ST SESSION S. 973 To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supplemental dental and vision benefits and long-term care insurance coverage for Federal employ- ees affected by a Government shutdown, and for other purposes. IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES APRIL 1, 2019 Ms. SMITH introduced the following bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs A BILL To amend title 5, United States Code, to continue supple- mental 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 Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 3 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Ensuring FEDVIP 4 and FLTCIP Coverage During Shutdowns Act’’. 5 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:29 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S973.IS S973 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 2 •S 973 IS SEC. 2. CONTINUING SUPPLEMENTAL DENTAL AND VISION 1 BENEFITS AND LONG-TERM CARE INSUR- 2 ANCE COVERAGE DURING A GOVERNMENT 3 SHUTDOWN. 4 (a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart G of part III of title 5, 5 United States Code, is amended— 6 (1) in section 8956, by adding at the end the 7 following: 8 ‘‘(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a dental 9 benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 10 status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage 11 under the dental benefits plan shall continue during the 12 lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a re- 13 sult of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges 14 due to the lapse in appropriations.’’; 15 (2) in section 8986, by adding at the end the 16 following: 17 ‘‘(d) With respect to an employee enrolled in a vision 18 benefits plan under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 19 status because of a lapse in appropriations, the coverage 20 under the vision benefits plan shall continue during the 21 lapse in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a re- 22 sult of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges 23 due to the lapse in appropriations.’’; and 24 (3) in section 9003, by adding at the end the 25 following: 26 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:29 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S973.IS S973 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 3 •S 973 IS ‘‘(e) EFFECT OF GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN.—With 1 respect to an employee or member of the uniformed serv- 2 ices enrolled under a master contract for long-term care 3 insurance under this chapter who is placed in a nonpay 4 status because of a lapse in appropriations, coverage 5 under the master contract shall continue during the lapse 6 in appropriations and may not be cancelled as a result 7 of nonpayment of premiums or other periodic charges due 8 to the lapse in appropriations.’’. 9 (b) REGULATIONS.—The Director of the Office of 10 Personnel Management shall prescribe regulations under 11 which premiums for supplemental dental, supplemental vi- 12 sion, or long-term care insurance under chapter 89A, 89B, 13 or 90 (respectively) of title 5, United States Code, (as 14 amended by subsection (a)) that are unpaid by an em- 15 ployee or member of the uniformed services (as the case 16 may be), as a result of that employee or member being 17 placed in a nonpay status because of a lapse in appropria- 18 tions, are paid to the applicable carrier from back pay 19 made available to the employee or member as soon as 20 practicable upon the end of the lapse in appropriations. 21 (c) APPLICATION.—The amendments made by sub- 22 section (a) shall apply to any contract for supplemental 23 dental, supplemental vision, or long-term care insurance 24 under chapter 89A, 89B, or 90 (respectively) of title 5, 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:29 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S973.IS S973 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS 4 •S 973 IS United States Code, entered into before, on, or after the 1 date of enactment of this Act. 2 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 23:29 Apr 05, 2019 Jkt 089200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\S973.IS S973 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42 with BILLS