FEGLI Handbook Table of Legislation Affecting the FEGLI Program

Life

FEGLI Handbook

Table of Legislation Affecting the FEGLI Program

Public Act Or Resolution Number Congress Date of Law Citation Nature

598 83 Aug 17, 1954 68 Stat. 736 Original Act

763 83 Sept. 1, 1954 68 Stat 1116 Stipulates that official reporters of the proceedings and debates of the Senate and their employees shall be considered employees in the legislative branch for life insurance purposes.

356 84 Aug. 11, 1955 68 Stat 676 Creates the Insurance Fund and provides for the investment of moneys in the Fund, in addition to providing for the Commission's assumption of Beneficial Association Agreements. This law also provides for continuation of insurance during retirement and nonpay status.

541 84 May 28, 1956 70 Stat. 213 Provides for continuance of insurance by employees receiving benefits under the Federal employees' compensation law.

881 84 Aug. 1, 1956 70 Stat. 882 Provides that insurance coverage ceases when an employee enters active military service.

918 84 Aug. 2, 1956 70 Stat. 934 Retains life insurance coverage for certain Agriculture Department employees detailed to States.

935 84 Aug. 2, 1956 70 Stat. 955 Grants coverage to employees of Gallaudet College.

177 85 Aug. 28, 1957 71 Stat. 452 Retains life insurance coverage for employees transferring to International Atomic Energy Agency.

377 85 Apr. 11, 1958 72 Stat. 87 Authorizes payment of expenses incurred by the Commission in making Beneficial Association Assumption Agreements and extends the time for these agreements.

745 85 Aug. 25, 1958 72 Stat. 838 Provides for each former President an office staff, and directs that the staff members be considered Federal employees for life insurance purposes.

795 85 Aug. 28, 1958 72 Stat. 959 Retains life insurance coverage for employees transferring to international organizations.

91 86 July 17, 1959 73 Stat. 217 Excludes from life insurance coverage any Federal employment performed by teachers in dependent schools of the Department of Defense in overseas areas in other capacity during a recess period between two school years.

377 86 Sept. 23, 1959 73 Stat. 700 Permits life insurance coverage to continue for nondisability retirees after at least 12 years of service; reduces amount of insurance by 2 percent per month when employee attains age 65 or retires, whichever is later.

568 86 July 1, 1960 74 Stat. 302 Provides life insurance coverage for Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation County Committee employees.

611 87 Aug. 28, 1962 76 Stat. 406 Provides that the amount of insurance payable will escheat to the credit of the Fund if claim for payment has not been filed within four years after the death of the employee.

195 88 Dec. 11, 1963 77 Stat. 348 Provides that persons employed on the office staff of Mrs. Jacqueline B. Kennedy shall be considered "Federal employees for life insurance purposes."

531 88 Aug. 31, 1964 78 Stat. 737 Provides insurance coverage for certain United States Commissioners.

631 88 Oct. 6, 1964 78 Stat. 1007 Provides insurance coverage for temporary teachers in the District of Columbia if they have been so temporarily employed for a total time of at least two years.

4 89 Mar. 9, 1965 79 Stat. 9 Authorizes the Commission to contract with the Appalachian Regional Commission for continuance of life insurance coverage held by a Federal employee transferring to a regional commission as a regular employee.

136 89 Aug. 26, 1965 79 Stat. 567 Authorizes the Commission to contract with regional commissions established under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 for continuance of life insurance coverage held by a Federal employee transferring to a regional commission as a regular employee.

373 89 Mar. 23, 1966 80 Stat. 78 Specifies that a designation, change, or cancellation of beneficiary in a will or other document not filed with the Commission is invalid.

379 89 Mar. 30, 1966 80 Stat. 94 Preserves life insurance coverage of Congressional employees receiving certain Congressional staff fellowships.

206 90 Dec. 16, 1967 81 Stat. 646 Provides for $10,000 minimum regular insurance, increases maximum amount of regular insurance from $20,000 to $32,000, provides for automatic increases in maximum amount of insurance whenever pay assigned to Federal executive pay level II increases, creates a new program of optional insurance, and improves financing of insurance costs.

578 90 Oct. 17, 1968 82 Stat. 1107 Grants insurance coverage to all full-time and part-time United States magistrates and all clerical and secretarial assistants employed in the office of full-time magistrates.

418 91 Sept. 25, 1970 84 Stat. 869 Extends insurance coverage to noncitizen employees whose duty station is in the Panama Canal Zone.

529 92 Oct. 21, 1972 86 Stat. 1050 Authorizes the waiver of retroactive salary deductions for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance purposes upon an employee's restoration to duty following a finding of erroneous removal or suspension.

437 95 Oct. 10, 1978 92 Stat. 1055 Provides that all employees appointed under the provisions of this Act are eligible under the FEGLI Program.

454 95 Oct. 13, 1978 92 Stat. 1111 Amends the FEGLI law by striking out "Commission" each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof "Office". In addition, various technical amendments to Section 8716 and the Federal Employees Part-Time Career Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-437) are effected.

583 95 Nov. 2, 1978 92 Stat. 2481 Reduces from 12 years to 5 years the length of service requirement for retaining group life insurance coverage into retirement. In addition, provides that for an employee who becomes eligible to continue optional and/or regular life insurance while receiving compensation for a work injury on or after November 2, 1978, the amount of the compensationer's insurance will be subject to the same 2 percent monthly reduction as is applied to all other insured persons when they attain age 65 and are retired.

54 96 Aug. 14, 1979 93 Stat. 384 Redefines "employee" for the purpose of life insurance coverage to exclude the previous reference to a United States Commissioner.

330 96 Aug. 26, 1980 94 Stat. 1035 Provides that bonuses be included as annual pay for FEGLI for physicians and dentists of the Department of Veterans Affairs.

427 96 Oct. 10, 1980 94 Stat. 1831 Restructures the "regular insurance" and renames it "basic insurance" renames "optional insurance" as "standard optional insurance" and creates the "additional optional" and "family optional" insurance. Also provides an age multiplication factor to permit additional amounts of "basic insurance" for younger employees, permits employees who retire on or after December 9, 1980, to elect a lesser reduction in the "basic insurance" after attaining age 65 and requires employees retiring after 1989 to continue to pay premiums for basic coverage until they attain age 65. In addition, this law provides that agencies may waive retroactive collection of premiums under certain circumstances so long as the agency remits the amount due to the Fund. This law also repeals the requirement of maintaining an advisory committee for life insurance, and provides for preemption of conflicting state and local group insurance laws.

499 96 Dec. 5, 1980 94 Stat. 2606 Exempts the premiums received by the office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance under the FEGLI Program from state and local premium taxes.

164 97 April 2, 1982 96 Stat. 48 Amends the FEGLI law by striking out "Court of Claims" and inserts in lieu thereof "United States Claims Court."

353 98 July 10, 1984 98 Stat. 350 Allows certain Federal judges to continue their FEGLI coverage as active employees after they retire, and to make an irrevocable assignment of their FEGLI coverage to another person.

621 98 Nov. 8, 1984 98 Stat. 3379 Allows FEGLI coverage for employees of St. Elizabeths Hospital who went to work for the District of Columbia Government immediately following Federal employment, without any break in service.

53 99 June 17, 1985 99 Stat. 95 Allows an annuitant whose disability is terminated because of restoration to earning capacity or recovery from disability and whose disability annuity is restored to elect to resume FEGLI coverage held immediately before his or her disability annuity is terminated.

335 99 June 6, 1986 100 Stat. 597 Ends the availability of FEGLI coverage for the employees of the government of the District of Columbia, beginning with individuals first employed with the District on or after October 1, 1987. Allows an employee who enters the military on active duty or active duty training to continue FEGLI coverage for up to 12 months. Provides for reinstatement of FEGLI coverage for individuals who qualify for an immediate annuity when they leave Federal service but postpone the commencing date of the annuity. Allows FERS annuitants to make direct payment of premiums for their FEGLI coverage when their annuity is too low to cover the insurance premiums.

336 99 June 19, 1986 100 Stat. 639 Clarifies Public Law 98-353 by providing that certain Federal judges who retire on or after January 1, 1982, may continue their basic and optional FEGLI coverage as if they were still in active employment.

238 100 June 8, 1988 100 Stat. 1744 Authorizes OPM to convert the premium pay of law enforcement officers under FERS to annual pay. Specifies that any provision of law outside of the FEGLI law which confers eligibility for FEGLI coverage shall not apply to individuals commencing employment in these positions on or after October 1, 1988.

679 100 Nov. 7, 1988 102 Stat. 4071 Provides FEGLI coverage to certain individuals appointed to the staff of a former President or a former Vice President under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.

303 101 May 29, 1990 104 Stat. 250 Authorizes the payment of the Government contribution for Basic life insurance coverage for individuals under age 65 who retire, or commence receiving compensation, after December 31, 1989.

508 101 Nov. 5, 1990 104 Stat. 1388 [855] Allows certain employees who retire under a Nonappropriated Fund instrumentality retirement plan to retain FEGLI coverage as annuitants.

509 101 Nov. 5, 1990 104 Stat. 1432 Provides that interim geographic adjustments and locality-based comparability payments be included in annual pay for FEGLI.

513 101 Nov. 5, 1990 104 Stat. 2064 Extends coverage under the FEGLI Program to U.S. hostages in Iraq, Kuwait, and Lebanon while they are in hostage status and for 12 months thereafter.

66 103 Aug. 10, 1993 107 Stat. 312 Provides that premium pay for overtime inspectional service be included as annual pay for FEGLI for customs officers.

336 103 Oct. 3, 1994 108 Stat. 2661 Allows all insured individuals to make an irrevocable assignment of their Basic, Option A, and Option B coverage to an individual, corporation, or trustee.

409 103 Oct. 25, 1994 108 Stat. 4230 Allows insured employees and annuitants to elect to receive their Basic insurance as a living benefit if they are terminally ill with a life expectancy of 9 months or less.

134 104 Apr. 26, 1996 110 Stat. 1321 Allows certain employees of the District of Columbia Financial Control Authority to elect to be considered Federal employees for purposes of FEGLI.

33 105 Aug. 5, 1997 11 Stat. 251 Allows judicial and nonjudicial employees of the District of Columbia Courts; the District of Columbia Corrections Trustee; the District of Columbia Pretrial Services, Defense Services, Parole, Adult Probation, and Offender Supervision Trustee; and employees of these trustees to be considered Federal employees for purposes of FEGLI.

205 105 Jul. 22, 1998 112 Stat. 683 Provides that certain court orders supersede the order of precedence for the payment of life insurance benefits.

274 105 Oct. 21, 1998 112 Stat. 2419 Makes technical corrections to Pub. L. 105-33, extends FEGLI to employees of the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia, and allows certain former DC Government employees who work for the Federal Government to continue their DC Government insurance.

311 105 Oct. 30, 1998 112 Stat. 2950 Eliminates the maximums on Basic and Option B; allows coverage of foster children under Option C; makes erroneous coverage valid, if it has been in effect for at least 2 years and the individual has paid the applicable premiums; allows direct payment of premiums for any employee, annuitant, or compensationer whose pay is too small to make withholdings; allows retiring employees to elect unreduced Options B and C; allows certain employees whose coverage terminates to port Option B (3-year demonstration project); and increases Option C coverage to 1-5 multiples of the current amounts.

113 106 Nov. 29, 1999 113 Stat. 1501 Amends title 28 to require the Judiciary to pay on behalf of Justices and judges of the United States any increases in FEGLI premiums imposed after April 24, 1999.

398 106 Oct. 30, 2000 114 Stat. 1654 Allows Department of Defense employees who waived or cancelled Basic insurance to elect it within 60 days of being designated emergency essential under section 1580 of title 10 U.S.C.

522 106 Nov. 22, 2000 114 Stat. 2440 Allows the Court Services and Offender Supervision Trustee and the trustee's employees to be treated as Federal employees for the purpose of FEGLI.

Public Act Or Resolution Number	Congress	Date of Law	Citation	Nature
598	83	Aug 17, 1954	68 Stat. 736	Original Act
763	83	Sept. 1, 1954	68 Stat 1116	Stipulates that official reporters of the proceedings and debates of the Senate and their employees shall be considered employees in the legislative branch for life insurance purposes.
356	84	Aug. 11, 1955	68 Stat 676	Creates the Insurance Fund and provides for the investment of moneys in the Fund, in addition to providing for the Commission's assumption of Beneficial Association Agreements. This law also provides for continuation of insurance during retirement and nonpay status.
541	84	May 28, 1956	70 Stat. 213	Provides for continuance of insurance by employees receiving benefits under the Federal employees' compensation law.
881	84	Aug. 1, 1956	70 Stat. 882	Provides that insurance coverage ceases when an employee enters active military service.
918	84	Aug. 2, 1956	70 Stat. 934	Retains life insurance coverage for certain Agriculture Department employees detailed to States.
935	84	Aug. 2, 1956	70 Stat. 955	Grants coverage to employees of Gallaudet College.
177	85	Aug. 28, 1957	71 Stat. 452	Retains life insurance coverage for employees transferring to International Atomic Energy Agency.
377	85	Apr. 11, 1958	72 Stat. 87	Authorizes payment of expenses incurred by the Commission in making Beneficial Association Assumption Agreements and extends the time for these agreements.
745	85	Aug. 25, 1958	72 Stat. 838	Provides for each former President an office staff, and directs that the staff members be considered Federal employees for life insurance purposes.
795	85	Aug. 28, 1958	72 Stat. 959	Retains life insurance coverage for employees transferring to international organizations.
91	86	July 17, 1959	73 Stat. 217	Excludes from life insurance coverage any Federal employment performed by teachers in dependent schools of the Department of Defense in overseas areas in other capacity during a recess period between two school years.
377	86	Sept. 23, 1959	73 Stat. 700	Permits life insurance coverage to continue for nondisability retirees after at least 12 years of service; reduces amount of insurance by 2 percent per month when employee attains age 65 or retires, whichever is later.
568	86	July 1, 1960	74 Stat. 302	Provides life insurance coverage for Agricultural Stabilization and Conservation County Committee employees.
611	87	Aug. 28, 1962	76 Stat. 406	Provides that the amount of insurance payable will escheat to the credit of the Fund if claim for payment has not been filed within four years after the death of the employee.
195	88	Dec. 11, 1963	77 Stat. 348	Provides that persons employed on the office staff of Mrs. Jacqueline B. Kennedy shall be considered "Federal employees for life insurance purposes."
531	88	Aug. 31, 1964	78 Stat. 737	Provides insurance coverage for certain United States Commissioners.
631	88	Oct. 6, 1964	78 Stat. 1007	Provides insurance coverage for temporary teachers in the District of Columbia if they have been so temporarily employed for a total time of at least two years.
4	89	Mar. 9, 1965	79 Stat. 9	Authorizes the Commission to contract with the Appalachian Regional Commission for continuance of life insurance coverage held by a Federal employee transferring to a regional commission as a regular employee.
136	89	Aug. 26, 1965	79 Stat. 567	Authorizes the Commission to contract with regional commissions established under the Public Works and Economic Development Act of 1965 for continuance of life insurance coverage held by a Federal employee transferring to a regional commission as a regular employee.
373	89	Mar. 23, 1966	80 Stat. 78	Specifies that a designation, change, or cancellation of beneficiary in a will or other document not filed with the Commission is invalid.
379	89	Mar. 30, 1966	80 Stat. 94	Preserves life insurance coverage of Congressional employees receiving certain Congressional staff fellowships.
206	90	Dec. 16, 1967	81 Stat. 646	Provides for $10,000 minimum regular insurance, increases maximum amount of regular insurance from $20,000 to $32,000, provides for automatic increases in maximum amount of insurance whenever pay assigned to Federal executive pay level II increases, creates a new program of optional insurance, and improves financing of insurance costs.
578	90	Oct. 17, 1968	82 Stat. 1107	Grants insurance coverage to all full-time and part-time United States magistrates and all clerical and secretarial assistants employed in the office of full-time magistrates.
418	91	Sept. 25, 1970	84 Stat. 869	Extends insurance coverage to noncitizen employees whose duty station is in the Panama Canal Zone.
529	92	Oct. 21, 1972	86 Stat. 1050	Authorizes the waiver of retroactive salary deductions for Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance purposes upon an employee's restoration to duty following a finding of erroneous removal or suspension.
437	95	Oct. 10, 1978	92 Stat. 1055	Provides that all employees appointed under the provisions of this Act are eligible under the FEGLI Program.
454	95	Oct. 13, 1978	92 Stat. 1111	Amends the FEGLI law by striking out "Commission" each place it appears and inserting in lieu thereof "Office". In addition, various technical amendments to Section 8716 and the Federal Employees Part-Time Career Act of 1978 (Pub. L. 95-437) are effected.
583	95	Nov. 2, 1978	92 Stat. 2481	Reduces from 12 years to 5 years the length of service requirement for retaining group life insurance coverage into retirement. In addition, provides that for an employee who becomes eligible to continue optional and/or regular life insurance while receiving compensation for a work injury on or after November 2, 1978, the amount of the compensationer's insurance will be subject to the same 2 percent monthly reduction as is applied to all other insured persons when they attain age 65 and are retired.
54	96	Aug. 14, 1979	93 Stat. 384	Redefines "employee" for the purpose of life insurance coverage to exclude the previous reference to a United States Commissioner.
330	96	Aug. 26, 1980	94 Stat. 1035	Provides that bonuses be included as annual pay for FEGLI for physicians and dentists of the Department of Veterans Affairs.
427	96	Oct. 10, 1980	94 Stat. 1831	Restructures the "regular insurance" and renames it "basic insurance" renames "optional insurance" as "standard optional insurance" and creates the "additional optional" and "family optional" insurance. Also provides an age multiplication factor to permit additional amounts of "basic insurance" for younger employees, permits employees who retire on or after December 9, 1980, to elect a lesser reduction in the "basic insurance" after attaining age 65 and requires employees retiring after 1989 to continue to pay premiums for basic coverage until they attain age 65. In addition, this law provides that agencies may waive retroactive collection of premiums under certain circumstances so long as the agency remits the amount due to the Fund. This law also repeals the requirement of maintaining an advisory committee for life insurance, and provides for preemption of conflicting state and local group insurance laws.
499	96	Dec. 5, 1980	94 Stat. 2606	Exempts the premiums received by the office of Federal Employees' Group Life Insurance under the FEGLI Program from state and local premium taxes.
164	97	April 2, 1982	96 Stat. 48	Amends the FEGLI law by striking out "Court of Claims" and inserts in lieu thereof "United States Claims Court."
353	98	July 10, 1984	98 Stat. 350	Allows certain Federal judges to continue their FEGLI coverage as active employees after they retire, and to make an irrevocable assignment of their FEGLI coverage to another person.
621	98	Nov. 8, 1984	98 Stat. 3379	Allows FEGLI coverage for employees of St. Elizabeths Hospital who went to work for the District of Columbia Government immediately following Federal employment, without any break in service.
53	99	June 17, 1985	99 Stat. 95	Allows an annuitant whose disability is terminated because of restoration to earning capacity or recovery from disability and whose disability annuity is restored to elect to resume FEGLI coverage held immediately before his or her disability annuity is terminated.
335	99	June 6, 1986	100 Stat. 597	Ends the availability of FEGLI coverage for the employees of the government of the District of Columbia, beginning with individuals first employed with the District on or after October 1, 1987. Allows an employee who enters the military on active duty or active duty training to continue FEGLI coverage for up to 12 months. Provides for reinstatement of FEGLI coverage for individuals who qualify for an immediate annuity when they leave Federal service but postpone the commencing date of the annuity. Allows FERS annuitants to make direct payment of premiums for their FEGLI coverage when their annuity is too low to cover the insurance premiums.
336	99	June 19, 1986	100 Stat. 639	Clarifies Public Law 98-353 by providing that certain Federal judges who retire on or after January 1, 1982, may continue their basic and optional FEGLI coverage as if they were still in active employment.
238	100	June 8, 1988	100 Stat. 1744	Authorizes OPM to convert the premium pay of law enforcement officers under FERS to annual pay. Specifies that any provision of law outside of the FEGLI law which confers eligibility for FEGLI coverage shall not apply to individuals commencing employment in these positions on or after October 1, 1988.
679	100	Nov. 7, 1988	102 Stat. 4071	Provides FEGLI coverage to certain individuals appointed to the staff of a former President or a former Vice President under the Presidential Transition Act of 1963.
303	101	May 29, 1990	104 Stat. 250	Authorizes the payment of the Government contribution for Basic life insurance coverage for individuals under age 65 who retire, or commence receiving compensation, after December 31, 1989.
508	101	Nov. 5, 1990	104 Stat. 1388 [855]	Allows certain employees who retire under a Nonappropriated Fund instrumentality retirement plan to retain FEGLI coverage as annuitants.
509	101	Nov. 5, 1990	104 Stat. 1432	Provides that interim geographic adjustments and locality-based comparability payments be included in annual pay for FEGLI.
513	101	Nov. 5, 1990	104 Stat. 2064	Extends coverage under the FEGLI Program to U.S. hostages in Iraq, Kuwait, and Lebanon while they are in hostage status and for 12 months thereafter.
66	103	Aug. 10, 1993	107 Stat. 312	Provides that premium pay for overtime inspectional service be included as annual pay for FEGLI for customs officers.
336	103	Oct. 3, 1994	108 Stat. 2661	Allows all insured individuals to make an irrevocable assignment of their Basic, Option A, and Option B coverage to an individual, corporation, or trustee.
409	103	Oct. 25, 1994	108 Stat. 4230	Allows insured employees and annuitants to elect to receive their Basic insurance as a living benefit if they are terminally ill with a life expectancy of 9 months or less.
134	104	Apr. 26, 1996	110 Stat. 1321	Allows certain employees of the District of Columbia Financial Control Authority to elect to be considered Federal employees for purposes of FEGLI.
33	105	Aug. 5, 1997	11 Stat. 251	Allows judicial and nonjudicial employees of the District of Columbia Courts; the District of Columbia Corrections Trustee; the District of Columbia Pretrial Services, Defense Services, Parole, Adult Probation, and Offender Supervision Trustee; and employees of these trustees to be considered Federal employees for purposes of FEGLI.
205	105	Jul. 22, 1998	112 Stat. 683	Provides that certain court orders supersede the order of precedence for the payment of life insurance benefits.
274	105	Oct. 21, 1998	112 Stat. 2419	Makes technical corrections to Pub. L. 105-33, extends FEGLI to employees of the Public Defender Service of the District of Columbia, and allows certain former DC Government employees who work for the Federal Government to continue their DC Government insurance.
311	105	Oct. 30, 1998	112 Stat. 2950	Eliminates the maximums on Basic and Option B; allows coverage of foster children under Option C; makes erroneous coverage valid, if it has been in effect for at least 2 years and the individual has paid the applicable premiums; allows direct payment of premiums for any employee, annuitant, or compensationer whose pay is too small to make withholdings; allows retiring employees to elect unreduced Options B and C; allows certain employees whose coverage terminates to port Option B (3-year demonstration project); and increases Option C coverage to 1-5 multiples of the current amounts.
113	106	Nov. 29, 1999	113 Stat. 1501	Amends title 28 to require the Judiciary to pay on behalf of Justices and judges of the United States any increases in FEGLI premiums imposed after April 24, 1999.
398	106	Oct. 30, 2000	114 Stat. 1654	Allows Department of Defense employees who waived or cancelled Basic insurance to elect it within 60 days of being designated emergency essential under section 1580 of title 10 U.S.C.
522	106	Nov. 22, 2000	114 Stat. 2440	Allows the Court Services and Offender Supervision Trustee and the trustee's employees to be treated as Federal employees for the purpose of FEGLI.

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U.S. Office of Personnel Management - Ensuring the Federal Government has an effective civilian workforce

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Life

FEGLI Handbook

Table of Legislation Affecting the FEGLI Program