A bill to amend chapter 83 of title 5, United States Code, to grant an annuitant the right to elect within 1 year after remarriage whether such annuitant's new spouse shall be entitled, if otherwise qualified, to a survivor annuity, and to eliminate the annuity reduction made by an unmarried annuitant to provide a survivor annuity to an individual having an insurable interest in cases where such individual predeceases the annuitant.
Public Law 95-317 · H.R. 3447 · 95th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Jul 10, 1978 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Gladys Spellman (D-MD-5)
Cosponsors: None
Passage votes
- HouseMethod not stated
- SenateMethod not stated
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.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Grants to a Federal annuitant the right to elect within one year after remarriage whether such annuitant's new spouse shall be entitled, if otherwise qualified, to a survivor annuity. Eliminates the annuity reduction made by an unmarried annuitant to provide a survivor annuity to an individual having an insurable interest in cases where such individual predeceases the annuitant. Requires the Civil Service Commission to inform each annuitant of such annuitant's rights of election under this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · referred to, reported by
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.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 13 actions.
- Jul 10, 1978Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 95-317.
- Jun 29, 1978PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Jun 26, 1978Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Jun 19, 1978FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- May 18, 1978CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jun 7, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Jun 6, 1977FloorFloor · Measure passed House.
- May 10, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Feb 9, 1977CommitteeCommittee · Referred to House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- 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.
Official record
The bill’s full text and every action, including introduction and committee steps, are on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.