Page:United States Statutes at Large Volume 104 Part 1.djvu/284

 104 STAT. 250 PUBLIC LAW 101-303—MAY 29, 1990 Public Law 101-303 101st Congress An Act To amend title 5, United States Code, to allow Federal annuitants to make contribu- May 29, 1990 tions for health benefits through direct payments rather than through annuity [H.R. 1805] withholdings if the annuity is insufficient to cover the required withholdings, and for other purposes. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the Retirement. United States of America in Congress assembled, Insurance. SECTION 1. HEALTH BENEFITS. (a) AUTHORITY FOR DIRECT PAYMENTS.—Section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: "(i) An annuitant whose annuity is insufficient to cover the withholdings required for enrollment in a particular health benefits plan may enroll (or remain enrolled) in such plan, notwithstanding any other provision of this section, if the annuitant elects, under conditions prescribed by regulations of the Office, to pay currently into the Employees Health Benefits Fund, through the retirement system that administers the annuitant's health benefits enrollment, an amount equal to the withholdings that would otherwise be required under this section,". (b) TECHNICAL AND CONFORMING AMENDMENTS.— Section 8906 of title 5, United States Code, is further amended— (1) in subsection (c), by inserting "except as provided in subsection (i) of this section)" before "the annuity"; and (2) in subsection (d), by inserting "(except as provided in subsection (i) of this section)" before "from the annuity". 5 USC 8906 note. (c) EFFECTIVE DATE. —The amendments made by this section shall take effect on the date of enactment of this Act. Any annuitant whose enrollment was terminated at any time before such date on account of such annuitant's annuity being insufficient to cover the amount of the required withholdings may, under regulations prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, be prospectively reinstated in any available health benefits plan upon application of the annuitant. SEC. 2. TECHNICAL CORRECTION IN LIFE INSURANCE PROVISIONS. Section 8708 of title 5, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following: "(d)(1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, for each period in which an employee continues life insurance after retirement or while in receipt of compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title because of disease or injury to the employee, as provided under section 87060t)) of this title, a sum equal to onehalf of the amount which is withheld from the employee's annuity or compensation under section 8707 of this title shall be contributed by the Office from annual appropriations which are authorized to be made for that purpose and which may be made available until expended. "(2) Contributions under this subsection—

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