A bill to amend title 5, United States Code, to require any Federal employee who elects at the time of retirement not to provide survivorship benefits for the employee's spouse to notify (or take all reasonable steps to notify) the spouse of that election.
Public Law 96-391 · H.R. 5410 · 96th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Jimmy Carter (D) on Oct 7, 1980 · 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.
Declares that an election by a Federal employee or a Member of Congress not to provide for survivorship benefits for his or her spouse shall not be valid unless the employee or Member proves to the satisfaction of the Office of Personnel Management that: (1) the spouse has been notified of the loss of or reduction in benefits resulting from such election; or (2) the employee or Member has complied with any notification requirements prescribed by the Office.
Requires that members of the United States Secret Service Division who are appointed from the District of Columbia Metropolitan Police force prior to January 1, 1972, and assigned duties directly relating to the protection of the President, receive credit for prior service with the D.C. police force, the U.S. Park Police force, or the Executive Protective Service toward the ten years of Secret Service duty which entitles such a member to elect coverage by the District of Columbia's retirement system.
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. 14 actions.
- Oct 7, 1980Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- PresidentPresident · Public Law 96-391.
- Sep 30, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure presented to President.
- PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in Senate.
- Sep 29, 1980PresidentPresident · Measure enrolled in House.
- Sep 25, 1980Resolving differencesResolving differences · House agreed to Senate amendment.
- Aug 27, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed Senate, amended.
- Aug 18, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Apr 3, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee
- Apr 1, 1980FloorFloor · Measure passed House, amended, roll call #172 (372-4).House roll call 172
- Mar 31, 1980FloorFloor · Measure called up under motion to suspend rules and pass in House.
- Mar 25, 1980CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Sep 26, 1979CommitteeCommittee · 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.