A bill to permit Employee Organizations, which are not eligible to participate in the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program solely because of the requirement that applications for approval be filed before January 1, 1980, to apply for approval to offer a health benefits plan.
Public Law 99-53 · H.R. 873 · 99th Congress · began in the House
Signed by Ronald Reagan (R) on Jun 17, 1985 · Government Operations and Politics
Sponsor: Rep. Norm Dicks (D-WA-6)
Cosponsors (17): Rep. Samuel Stratton, Rep. Victor Fazio,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateVoice vote
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.
Authorizes the establishment of additional Federal employee health benefit plans for members of employee organizations which apply within 90 days after enactment of this Act to the Office of Personnel Management for plan approval. Sets forth the requirements for such approval.
Authorizes certain restored disability annuitants to: (1) enroll in a Federal health benefit plan if such annuitant was enrolled in any such plan prior to termination; and (2) elect to resume Federal life insurance coverage. Makes such authority applicable to any disability annuitant whose annuity is or was restored after December 31, 1983, and before the end of the 90-day period beginning on the date of enactment of this Act.
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Post Office and Civil Service Committee · House · markup by, referred to, reported bySubcommittee: Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee
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.
- Jun 17, 1985Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 99-53.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Jun 6, 1985PresidentPresident · Presented to the President.
- Jun 3, 1985FloorFloor · Passed Senate without amendment by Voice Vote.
- May 14, 1985FloorFloor · Received in the Senate and held at the desk by unanimous consent.
- May 13, 1985FloorFloor · Passed House (Amended) by Voice Vote.
- May 9, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 8, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Markup by House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- May 7, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Reported by Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- CommitteeCommittee · Markup by Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Feb 28, 1985CommitteeCommittee · Referred to Compensation and Employee Benefits Subcommittee of the House Post Office and Civil Service Committee
- Jan 31, 1985CommitteeCommittee · 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.