Federal Government Documents and Publications

SUMMARY: The U.S. Office of Personnel Management (OPM) is proposing changes to the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) Program regulations to provide for the new election opportunities for certain civilian and Defense Department employees deployed in support of a contingency operation required by Public Law 110-417; to provide for the continuation of coverage opportunities for Federal employees called to active duty required by Public Law 110-181; and to update the regulations with other changes, clarifications, and corrections.

EFFECTIVE DATE: OPM must receive comments on or before March 1, 2010.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Ingrid Burford, Senior Policy Analyst, Strategic Human Resources Policy, U.S. Office of Personnel Management, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC 20415-9700; or deliver to OPM, Room 3415, 1900 E Street, NW., Washington, DC; or FAX to (202) 606-0636. Comments may also be sent through the Federal eRulemaking Portal at http://www.regulations.gov. All submissions received through the Portal must include the agency name and docket number or the Regulation Identifier Number (RIN) for this rulemaking. Please specify the subpart and section number for each comment.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Ingrid Burford, (202) 606-0004.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: On October 27, 2000, OPM published proposed regulations (65 FR 64530) with miscellaneous changes, clarifications, and corrections. We have identified additional changes, clarifications, and corrections. Therefore, we are withdrawing the October 27, 2000, proposed regulations and issuing new proposed regulations. We will respond to any comments received on these proposed regulations when we publish final regulations.

The proposed changes, clarifications, and corrections are:

Changes

(1) Public Law 106-398 amended 5 U.S.C. 8702 to allow Department of Defense (DoD) employees who are designated as "emergency essential" under 10 U.S.C. 1580 to elect Basic insurance within 60 days of being so designated. Section 1103 of Public Law 110-417, the Duncan Hunter National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2009, which became effective on October 14, 2008, further amended chapter 87 of title 5, U.S. Code, to allow "emergency essential" DoD employees, as well as civilian employees deployed in support of a contingency operation, to elect Basic Insurance, Option A (Standard) coverage and Option B (Additional) coverage up to a maximum of five (5) multiples. We are amending the regulations to include these election opportunities. These changes can be found in SEC 870.503(e) and (f) and SEC 870.506(f) and (g).

(2) Public Law 110-279, enacted July 17, 2008, provides for certain Federal employee benefits to be continued for certain employees of the Senate Restaurants after the operations of the Senate Restaurants are contracted to be performed by a private business concern. The law provides that a Senate Restaurants employee, who is an employee of the Architect of the Capitol on the date of enactment and who accepts employment by the private business concern as part of the transition, may elect to continue coverage under certain Federal employee benefits programs during continuous employment with the business concern. Former Senate Restaurant employees who have FEGLI coverage as of the date of transfer may continue their coverage, if they also elected to continue their retirement coverage under either chapter 83 or 84 of title 5, U.S. Code. These individuals will continue to be eligible for FEGLI during continuous employment with the private contractor unless the employees opt out of the FEGLI program. We are revising the FEGLI regulations to address coverage for these individuals. These changes can be found in SEC 870.601(a) and SEC 870.602(b).

(3) Section 1102 of Public Law 110-181, the National Defense Authorization Act for Fiscal Year 2008, enacted January 28, 2008, amended 5 U.S.C. 8706 to authorize the continuation of FEGLI coverage for up to 24 months for Federal employees called to active duty. FEGLI coverage is free for the first 12 months, but employees must pay the full cost (Government and employee share) of the premiums for the additional 12 months. We are amending the regulations to include this election opportunity. These changes can be found in SEC 870.601(d)(3)(iii).

(4) Public Law 110-177, the Court Security Improvement Act of 2007, enacted January 7, 2008, deems certain categories of judicial officers to be considered as judges of the United States under section 8701 of title 5, United States Code. The law requires magistrate judges retired under section 377 of title 28, United States Code, to be considered Federal judges under the Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance (FEGLI) law. Public Law 111-8, the Omnibus Appropriations Act of 2009, enacted March 9, 2009, further amended the FEGLI law, by identifying additional judges who should continue to be treated as employees following retirement. This law requires bankruptcy judges and magistrate judges retired under section 377 of title 28, U.S. Code, and judges retired under section 373 of title 28, to be considered Federal judges under the FEGLI law. In addition, a 1955 OPM General Counsel's opinion identified additional judges who also should continue to be treated as employees following retirement (DC judges and Tax Court judges). We are changing the regulations to add these judges. These changes can be found in SEC 870.703(e)(1).

(5) Currently, with a change in family circumstances an employee must already have Basic insurance and may elect only Option B and Option C. The number of multiples of Option B that such an employee may elect with a change in family circumstances is limited. We are proposing to eliminate the limitations on the coverage an employee may elect, so that an employee making an election based on a change in family circumstances, may elect Basic insurance and any and all Optional insurance, including up to the maximum number of multiples available of Option B and Option C. These changes can be found in SEC 870.503(b)(3) and SEC 870.506(a).

(6) Newly eligible employees must be in pay and duty status before Optional insurance can become effective. The six-month belated election opportunity allows Optional insurance to become effective retroactive to the pay period following the one in which the employee became eligible, but it does not require the employee to be in pay and duty status at that time. We are proposing a change to the regulations to apply the same pay and duty status requirements for belated elections that are required for elections made on a timely basis. These changes can be found in SEC 870.503 and SEC 870.506.

(7) We are proposing a change to provide that no one but the insured individual has the right to convert coverage when insurance terminates, unless the insured individual has assigned his or her insurance, with the exception that an individual having power of attorney may convert on behalf of the insured. In addition, a family member may convert Option C coverage. These changes can be found in SEC 870.603(a)(1).

(8) We are proposing to change the time frame for making an initial election of Optional insurance from 31 days to 60 calendar days after the employee becomes eligible. We are also proposing to extend the time frame for electing coverage by providing satisfactory medical information from 31 days to 60 calendar days after OFEGLI's (Office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance) approval. These changes will make these election time frames consistent with other election opportunities for Federal benefits. These changes can be found in SEC 870.504 (a)(1) and SEC 870.506(c).

(9) When an employee who elected a partial living benefit dies, the post-election BIA (Basic Insurance Amount) is multiplied by the extra benefit age factor in effect at the time that OFEGLI received the living benefit application. We are proposing to change this computation to use the age factor in effect nine months from the date OFEGLI received the living benefit application, to be consistent with the age factor used to compute the amount of the living benefit. These changes can be found in SEC 870.203.

(10) Public Law 108-445, The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) Health Care Personnel Enhancement Act of 2004, provided for the payment of market pay, in addition to base pay, for physicians and dentists employed by the VA. Accordingly, in addition to base pay, market pay must be used to determine the annual rate of pay described in SEC 870.204 for these individuals. Public Law 96-330, currently cited in SEC 870.204(a)(2)(x), relating to the treatment of bonuses for physicians and dentists employed by the VA, is no longer in effect. We are revising SEC 870.204 to include market pay in the determination of annual pay for these individuals.

(11) In situations of concurrent employment, the amount of Basic insurance and Option B insurance is based on the combined salaries. However, if an employee accepts a temporary position while in nonpay status from a covered position, the amount of insurance is based on whichever salary is higher. We are proposing to eliminate this exception, so that this situation will be treated the same as other instances of concurrent employment. These changes can be found in SEC 870.204(g).

(12) Currently, the earliest that coverage elected as a result of providing satisfactory medical information can become effective is the day after the date OFEGLI approves the employee's request for coverage. We are changing the regulations to allow Basic insurance to become effective on the date of OFEGLI's approval if the employee is in pay and duty status. We are also allowing Option A and Option B coverage to become effective on the date of OFEGLI's approval if the employing office receives the employee's election on or before that date and the employee is in pay and duty status. These changes can be found in SEC 870.503 and SEC 870.506.

--This is a summary of a Federal Register article originally published on the page number listed below--

Proposed rule.

CFR Part: "5 CFR Part 870"

RIN Number: "RIN 3206-AG63"

Citation: "74 FR 69288"

Federal Register Page Number: "69288"

"Proposed Rules"