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Federal Employees Life Insurance Improvement Act

Public Law 105-311 · H.R. 2675 · 105th Congress · began in the House

Signed by Bill Clinton (D) on Oct 30, 1998 · Government Operations and Politics

Sponsor: Rep. John Mica (R-FL-7)

Cosponsors (7): Rep. Elijah Cummings,

Passage votes

  • HouseVoice vote
  • SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes

The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.

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Summary

The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.

Federal Employees Life Insurance Improvement Act - Directs the Office of Personnel Management to conduct a study on the following life insurance options for Federal employees: (1) group universal life insurance; (2) group variable universal life insurance; and (3) additional voluntary accidental death and dismemberment insurance.

(Sec. 3) Amends requirements relating to Federal employee life insurance to repeal the maximum limitation on: (1) group accidental death and dismemberment life insurance; and (2) additional optional life insurance.

(Sec. 4) Modifies the definition of "family member " to include a foster child.

(Sec. 5) Prohibits the invalidation of an employee's group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance policy based on a finding that the employee erroneously became insured, or erroneously continued insurance upon retirement or entitlement to compensation for work injuries, if such finding occurs after the erroneous insurance and applicable withholdings have been in force for two years during the employee's lifetime.

(Sec. 6) Permits an employee who is subject to withholdings for group life and accidental death and dismemberment insurance, optional life insurance, additional life insurance, or optional life insurance on family members and whose pay, annuity, or compensation are insufficient to cover such withholdings to nevertheless continue such insurance if such employee arranges to pay currently into the Employees' Life Insurance Fund, through the agency or retirement system that administers pay, annuity, or compensation, an amount equal to the withholding that would otherwise be required.

(Sec. 7) Provides for the amount of additional optional life insurance of any employee who retires on an immediate annuity or who becomes entitled to receive compensation because of disease or injury to the employee, to be continued, with or without reduction, in accordance with the employee's written election at the time eligibility to continue insurance during retirement or receipt of compensation arises. Permits the employee, instead of the option under current law, to elect to have the full cost of such insurance continue to be withheld from such employee's annuity or compensation on and after the date such withholdings would otherwise cease pursuant to an election, in which case the amount of such insurance continued shall not be reduced. Allows an employee whose additional optional insurance would otherwise stop, and who is not eligible to continue insurance, to elect to continue such insurance at group rates, in lieu of conversion to an individual policy.

Requires an employee or former employee who elects to continue such insurance following separation from service or 12 months without pay to submit timely payment of its full cost, plus any amount the Office determines necessary to cover associated administrative expenses.

Disallows any election to continue such insurance from being made three years after an effective date. Terminates, on and after the date on which an election may no longer be made, all such insurance for former employees, subject to a provision for temporary extension of life insurance coverage and for conversion to an individual policy of life insurance under conditions approved by the Office. Requires the Office, not later than three years after the enactment of this Act, to report to the Congress on such insurance, including recommendations on whether continuation for such insurance should terminate as provided, be extended, or be made permanent.

(Sec. 8) Revises requirements relating to optional life insurance on family members.

(Sec. 9) Requires the Office to conduct an open enrollment opportunity for purposes of obtaining life insurance. Permits an employee during this period: (1) if the employee previously declined or voluntarily terminated any coverage, to elect to begin, resume, or increase group life insurance (and acquire applicable accidental death and dismemberment insurance) without submitting evidence of insurability; and (2) if currently insured for optional life insurance on family members, to elect an amount above the minimum insurance on a spouse.

(Sec. 10) Amends provisions relating to the judicial review of decisions of the Merit Systems Protection Board to: (1) revise the time period (from 30 to 60 days) any petition for judicial review of a final order or decision of the Board must be filed; and (2) permit the Director to obtain review of any final order or decision of the Board by filing within 60 days (currently, no limitation) after the date he or she received notice of the final order or decision of the Board.

Committees

The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.

Data notes

A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.

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Timeline

From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 23 actions.

  1. Oct 30, 1998Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 105-311.
  2. Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
  3. Oct 20, 1998PresidentPresident · Presented to President.
  4. Oct 8, 1998Resolving differencesResolving differences · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  5. Resolving differencesResolving differences · On motion that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments Agreed to by voice vote.
  6. Resolving differencesResolving differences · Mr. Mica moved that the House suspend the rules and agree to the Senate amendments.
  7. Oct 5, 1998FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
  8. FloorFloor · The committee substitute agreed to by Unanimous Consent.
  9. FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
  10. Sep 21, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  11. Jun 17, 1998CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  12. Nov 5, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
  13. Nov 4, 1997FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
  14. FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended Agreed to by voice vote.
  15. FloorFloor · At the conclusion of debate, the chair put the question on the motion to suspend the rules. Mr. Cummings objected to the Yea - Nay vote on the grounds that a quorum was not present. Further proceedings on the motion were postponed. The point of no quorum was withdrawn.
  16. FloorFloor · Mr. Mica moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill, as amended.
  17. CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  18. Oct 31, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  19. Oct 22, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Civil Service and Agency Organization Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  20. CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Civil Service and Agency Organization Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  21. CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Civil Service and Agency Organization Subcommittee of the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  22. Oct 21, 1997CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Oversight and Government Reform Committee
  23. IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in the House
Data notes

Shows the introduction, each committee and subcommittee step the source dates (referral, hearings, markup, report, discharge), and the floor, conference, presidential and became-law steps. Calendar placements, messages between the chambers, amendments and committee report numbers are not shown for laws before the 108th Congress. Two entries the source lists twice are shown once.

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Official record

The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.