Bill Summary
This bill aims to amend the United States Code to ensure that federal employees have continued insurance benefits during a government shutdown. This includes dental, vision, and long-term care insurance coverage. The bill states that employees who are furloughed or working without pay during a government shutdown will still receive coverage and their insurance plans will not be canceled due to nonpayment of premiums. The Director of the Office of Personnel Management will be responsible for creating regulations to ensure that insurance premiums are paid using back pay once the government shutdown ends. This bill applies to all federal employees and their insurance contracts, regardless of when they were entered into.
Possible Impacts
1. This legislation could provide relief for federal employees affected by a government shutdown by ensuring that their dental and vision benefits continue during the shutdown.
2. It could also affect employees' ability to access long-term care insurance during a government shutdown, as their coverage would continue even if they are furloughed or working without pay.
3. The legislation could also impact the regulations and processes for unpaid premiums for supplemental dental, vision, and long-term care insurance, ensuring that they are paid to the applicable carrier from back pay as soon as possible after the end of a government shutdown.
[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2004 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
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.
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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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