[Pages H6453-H6458]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]

SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP LIFE INSURANCE ENHANCEMENT ACT OF 2005

Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I move to suspend the rules and pass the
bill (H.R. 3200) to amend title 38, United States Code, to enhance the
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance program, and for other purposes.
The Clerk read as follows:

H.R. 3200

Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of
the United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

This Act may be cited as the ``Servicemembers' Group Life
Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005''.

SEC. 2. REPEALER.

Effective as of August 31, 2005, section 1012 of division A
of the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act for Defense,
the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief, 2005 (Public
Law 109-13; 119 Stat. 244), including the amendments made by
that section, are repealed, and sections 1967, 1969, 1970,
and 1977 of title 38, United States Code, shall be applied as
if that section had not been enacted.

SEC. 3. INCREASE FROM $250,000 TO $400,000 IN AUTOMATIC
MAXIMUM COVERAGE UNDER SERVICEMEMBERS' GROUP
LIFE INSURANCE AND VETERANS' GROUP LIFE
INSURANCE.

(a) Maximum Under SGLI.--Section 1967 of title 38, United
States Code, is amended--
(1) in subsection (a)(3)(A)(i), by striking ``$250,000''
and inserting ``$400,000''; and
(2) in subsection (d), by striking ``of $250,000'' and
inserting ``in effect under paragraph (3)(A)(i) of that
subsection''.
(b) Maximum Under VGLI.--Section 1977(a) of such title is
amended by striking ``$250,000'' each place it appears and
inserting ``$400,000''.
(c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section
shall take effect on September 1, 2005, and shall apply with
respect to deaths occurring on or after that date.

SEC. 4. NOTIFICATION TO MEMBER'S SPOUSE OR NEXT OF KIN OF
CERTAIN ELECTIONS UNDER SERVICEMEMBER'S GROUP
LIFE INSURANCE PROGRAM.

Effective September 1, 2005, section 1967 of title 38,
United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the
following new subsection:
``(f)(1)(A) Whenever a member who is eligible for insurance
under this section executes a life insurance option specified
in subparagraph (B), the Secretary concerned shall notify the
member's spouse or, if the member is unmarried, the member's
next of kin, in writing, of the execution of that option.
``(B) A life insurance option referred to in subparagraph
(A) is any of the following:
``(i) An election under subsection (a)(2)(A) not to be
insured under this subchapter.
``(ii) An election under subsection (a)(3)(B) for insurance
of the member in an amount that is less than the maximum
amount provided under subsection (a)(3)(A)(i).
``(iii) An application under subsection (c) for insurance
coverage under this subchapter or for a change in the amount
of such insurance coverage.
``(iv) In the case of a married member, a designation under
section 1970(a) of this title of any person other than the
spouse or a child of the member as the beneficiary of the
member for any amount of insurance under this subchapter.
``(2) Whenever an unmarried member who is eligible for
insurance under this section marries, the Secretary concerned
shall notify the member's spouse in writing as to whether the
member is insured under this subchapter. In the case of a
member who is so insured, the Secretary shall include with
such notification--
``(A) if the member has made an election described in
paragraph (1)(B)(ii), notice that the amount of such
insurance is less than the maximum amount provided under
subsection (a)(3)(A)(i); and
``(B) if the member has designated a beneficiary other than
the spouse or a child of the member for any amount of such
insurance, notice that such a designation has been made.
``(3)(A) Notification of a spouse under paragraph (1) or
(2), or of any other person under paragraph (1), for purposes
of this subsection shall consist of a good faith effort to
provide information to the spouse or other person at the last
address of the spouse or other person in the records of the
Secretary concerned.
``(B) Failure to provide such notification, or to provide
such notification in a timely manner, does not affect the
validity of any life insurance option referred to in
paragraph (1)(B).''.

[[Page H6454]]

SEC. 5. INCREMENTS OF INSURANCE THAT MAY BE ELECTED.

(a) Increase in Increment Amount.--Subsection (a)(3)(B) of
section 1967 of title 38, United States Code, is amended by
striking ``member or spouse'' in the last sentence and
inserting ``member, be evenly divisible by $50,000 and, in
the case of a member's spouse,''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect on September 1, 2005.

SEC. 6. AUTHORITY TO ELECT NEW TRAUMATIC INJURY PROTECTION.

(a) Opt-Out Authority.--Section 1980A of title 38, United
States Code, is amended by adding at the end of subsection
(b) the following new paragraph:
``(4)(A) A member may elect in writing not to be insured
under this section.
``(B) If a member eligible for insurance under this section
is not so insured by reason of an election made under
subparagraph (A), the member may thereafter elect to be
insured under this section upon written application by the
member, proof of good health, and compliance with such other
terms and conditions as may be prescribed by the Secretary.
Insurance under this section upon such an election is
effective upon the date of the receipt by the Secretary of
such application and shall apply only with respect to
injuries incurred after that date.
``(C) The Secretary shall prescribe by regulation
conditions as to how and when elections under subparagraph
(B) shall be made. Such regulations may include limiting the
time for such elections to an annual open season, for a
duration each year prescribed by the Secretary.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendment made by subsection (a)
shall take effect immediately after section 1980A of title
38, United States Code, takes effect pursuant to section
1032(d)(1) of division A of the Emergency Supplemental
Appropriations Act for Defense, the Global War on Terror, and
Tsunami Relief, 2005 (Public Law 109-13; 119 Stat. 260).

The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to the rule, the gentleman from
Indiana (Mr. Buyer) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) each
will control 20 minutes.
The Chair recognizes the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer).
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
Madam Speaker, on July 14, 2005, the Committee on Veterans' Affairs
reported H.R. 3200, the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance
Enhancement Act of 2005. Among other things, this bill would provide a
permanent authorization for increases in maximum life insurance
coverage under the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, referred to as
the SGLI program, and the Veterans' Group Life Insurance, referred to
as the VGLI program from $250,000 to $400,000.
Public Law 109-113, the Emergency Supplemental Appropriations Act For
Defense, the Global War on Terror, and Tsunami Relief of 2005,
increased the maximum coverage to $400,000 under these programs.
However, the authorization expires on September 30, 2005.
It is my understanding that the Senate included the termination date,
which was approved in the conference report, to afford the legislative
committees the jurisdiction and opportunity to hold public hearings and
further consider the specifics of the emergency authorization before it
could be made permanent.
The increased level of coverage was requested by the President
because of concerns over death benefits for the survivors of
servicemembers being inadequate as our Nation fights the global war on
terrorism. H.R. 3200 would also repeal the provision of Public Law 109-
13 which prevents a married servicemember from declining SGLI coverage,
or opting for an amount less than the maximum, without the written
consent of the spouse. Public Law 109-13 mandates spousal consent, even
in cases where the couple is estranged, as long as they are legally
married.
The committee does not believe providing a spouse such veto authority
over life insurance elections is good public policy. The spousal
consent requirement could also result, for example, in a
servicemember's spouse excluding stepchildren as beneficiaries. The
government should not interfere legally in a servicemember's highly
personal choices about such family matters.

{time} 1145

H.R. 3200 would instead require the military service Secretary
concerned to provide written notification to the spouse or the next of
kin of an unmarried servicemember as to the servicemember's insurance
election.
The committee believes that this is the preferable way of ensuring
that the spouse or beneficiary is informed about this important
financial decision, while preserving the individual right of the
servicemember to make decisions about life insurance coverage.
Finally, Public Law 109-13 also provides for a new traumatic injury
program. The traumatic injury program provides financial assistance in
the amounts from $25,000 to $100,000 to servicemembers who suffer
certain traumatic injuries.
The traumatic injury protection under current law is mandatory for
servicemembers who elect SGLI coverage with premiums paid by the
servicemember. No hearing had been held on this new program until June
16 of 2005, when the Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability
Assistance and Memorial Affairs held a hearing on H.R. 3200 in its
draft form and on the traumatic injury protection program.
H.R. 3200 would allow a servicemember to decline traumatic injury
coverage. This program authorization will be effective December 1,
2005, for servicemembers, but it is retroactive to October 7, 2001,
when Operation Enduring Freedom began, for qualifying losses that are a
direct result of injuries incurred in Operation Enduring Freedom and/or
Operation Iraqi Freedom
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may
consume.
I would like to thank the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), the
gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans) and the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Miller) for bringing this bill to the floor before the August recess.
H.R. 3200 would make the maximum amount of $400,000 in the
Servicemembers Group Life Insurance program permanent. In May of this
year, Congress acted to increase the maximum amount of SGLI available
to the men and women who are currently serving in the Armed Forces from
$250,000 to $400,000. However, without passage of H.R. 3200, the
increase in SGLI benefits will expire on September 30, 2005, prior to
the time we return from our recess. This legislation is necessary in
order to prevent any gaps in servicemembers' coverage under the SGLI
program.
I appreciate the gentleman from Florida (Chairman Miller's)
cooperation in addressing my concerns that spousal consent not be a
part of this SGLI program. The VA is already hearing from
servicemembers who are upset that they must seek to obtain the consent
of an estranged spouse before selecting less than the maximum amount of
life insurance. We on the subcommittee have worked together in a
bipartisan way on this matter.
I support the provision to eliminate the spousal consent requirement
contained in Public Law 109-13. I also support the provision to
eliminate the requirement that notice be sent to a current spouse if a
servicemember elects to name a child or children as beneficiaries of
their SGLI.
I believe we need to allow servicemembers to make decisions on the
beneficiaries of their life insurance without any pressure to ignore
their financial responsibility to their children, particularly from a
prior marriage.
This bill is urgently needed to provide continuous coverage to our
servicemen and women. I know that the men and women from Nevada who are
currently serving will benefit from this bill. I urge all Members to
support H.R. 3200.
Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself such time as I may consume.
I would like to acknowledge the contributions of the gentleman from
Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for his hard work on this legislation. On April 16,
2005, Mr. Renzi introduced H.R. 1618, which would create a traumatic
injury protection program similar to what was enacted in Public Law
109-13.
On June 16, the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) testified before
the Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, and his
comments helped shape the bill which we are currently considering
today. The gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) is a strong supporter of
our Nation's servicemen and women, and I appreciate his input.

[[Page H6455]]

I would also note that I have had continuous dialogue with the
gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi), and I deeply appreciate his
passion. In having grown up in a military family, he has great
understanding of the sacrifices of the men and women who wear the
uniform.
Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from Arizona (Mr.
Renzi).
Mr. RENZI. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the Chairman very much for
the opportunity to speak on this legislation, for his leadership, and
for the time that he has spent in mentoring me, particularly on this
piece of legislation.
The bill that we are considering today, the Servicemembers' Group
Life Enhancement Act of 2005, makes permanent and improves a
significant change which passed a few months ago. In May, as part of
the Emergency Wartime Supplemental Act, Congress passed the provision
that allows the armed services and members of the armed services to
purchase insurance coverage to protect against traumatic disabling
injuries. This new traumatic injury protection program will be up and
running in December, and will protect our servicemen and women against
the economic consequences of severe disabilities while suffered on
Active Duty. It will greatly assist our Armed Forces and their families
during a servicemember's hospitalization time and their rehabilitation
period, as well as their transition back to full employment.
At a time injured servicemembers and their family need to concentrate
on physical recovery and emotional well-being, they are too often
burdened with mounting financial debt, and this program goes a long way
to help them.
Hospitalization following a traumatic injury often requires the
servicemember's family members to leave work for an extended period of
time to be with their loved ones, thus potentially losing a source of
income. They incur tremendous costs, such as travel and living
expenses, at a very stressful time. Travel, housing, food and child
care costs can often amount to tens of thousands of dollars, and this
insurance program will provide up to $100,000 to these servicemembers
to help pay for these indirect costs.
We ask our young people to volunteer their service, and they serve
with distinction. This program will be especially important to members
of our National Guard and Reserve in which we have a moral obligation
to provide the necessary means for our servicemember to transition back
to civilian life.
Medical technology has made great gains in the past years. Many of
our soldiers who would have been killed in battle now come home with
severe disabilities. We need to continue to assist these wounded
warriors as they adjust to life with their new disabilities. Therefore,
it is vital that we recognize the difficult sacrifices made by our
military and their families, and we do all that we can to assist them
when they need it most. Our Nation must never forget our wounded
warriors, and this legislation goes a long way to help them and to
recognize that we care.
I thank the committee. I thank the gentleman from Indiana (Chairman
Buyer) and the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for their
approval, and I especially thank the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Miller), the chairman of the subcommittee, for his help.
Madam Speaker, I urge my colleagues to pass this important
legislation.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I would also like to thank the gentleman
from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) for his leadership on this issue.
Madam Speaker, I yield 4 minutes to the gentleman from California
(Mr. Filner).
Mr. FILNER. Madam Speaker, I, too, rise to speak about improvements
in insurance for veterans and their families.
This bill, H.R. 3200, will permanently, as we have heard, increase
the amount of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance from $250,000 to
$400,000 if a servicemember is killed in the line of duty.
It would also provide the same permanent increase in the Veterans'
Group Life Insurance program. These changes, of course, make the
insurance more in line with today's economy, and we all should support
the passage of H.R. 3200.
But I think there are other changes beyond what is in this bill that
we also should take before this Congress ends. These changes would,
first of all, affect the Service-Disabled Veterans Insurance, the SDVI
program. When this insurance program began in 1951, the premiums were
based on a 1940 mortality rate. Current standard life insurance
policies have premiums based on a 2001 mortality rate, except for this
program, which still charges premiums based on a table that is 60 years
out of date, which results in higher premiums.
The Independent Budget, that document prepared and endorsed by many
veterans service organizations, has recommended that the mortality
table be updated. I have introduced a bill, H.R. 2747, the Disabled
Veterans Life Insurance Enhancement Act, that would make this important
change and decrease this premium payment for disabled veterans.
A second part of my bill affects the mortgage life insurance for
severely disabled veterans. Currently this insurance covers only about
55 percent of outstanding mortgage balances. We know how the cost of
housing has skyrocketed in most areas of our Nation. In May of 2001, an
evaluation by the Department of Veterans Affairs recommended increased
coverage. And my bill, H.R. 2747, implements these recommendations by
increasing the maximum which would be expected to cover 94 percent of
mortgage balances.
Finally, military families are currently provided with $10,000 of
life insurance for each child when the servicemember is covered by the
program. Some military families have been denied this benefit because
their child was stillborn. My bill, H.R. 2747, would extend the $10,000
benefit to those families to help pay for funeral and burial expenses.
I note that the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has taken up this
issue in their June 23 hearing.
Let us begin to update and fix the insurance for our servicemembers
and our veterans by passing the bill before us, H.R. 3200. But I also
encourage my colleagues to cosponsor and support my insurance bill,
H.R. 2747, which expands what we are doing here today to additional
insurance provisions and programs to support all of our Nation's
veterans.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, at this time I yield 2 minutes to the
gentleman from New Hampshire (Mr. Bradley), a member of the committee.
Mr. BRADLEY of New Hampshire. Madam Speaker, I want to thank the
gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) for the leadership that he has shown
on this issue as well as the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), the
gentleman from California (Mr. Filner), and the gentleman from Illinois
(Mr. Evans) and others.
It is not often that we have the opportunity to come together to do
the right thing, to do it in a bipartisan fashion. It is a tribute to
the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer's) leadership and to our friends
on the other side of the aisle, and all of the leadership of the
committee deserve great credit for doing this.
The details of this bill have been discussed by the chairman and
others. I do not need to go through the details. What I want my
colleagues to understand is the importance of this bill and why we are
doing this bill, why we are increasing the SGLI benefit, the death
benefit, and instituting an insurance benefit for injuries.
Most of us have had the opportunity to visit our troops in Iraq, in
Afghanistan, and in many other countries around the world, as we are
fighting and prevailing in this war on terrorism. And what we have seen
when we have visited our troops is the dedication, the sacrifice, the
American grit and courage to get the job done to win this battle
against terrorism.
And when things happen, when people pay the ultimate sacrifice, when
they return with disabling injuries, our country has to make sure that
we match their commitment so that they are able to, if they paid the
ultimate sacrifice, know that their families will have an increased
death benefit; or if they have traumatic injuries, realize that there
is help for their recovery and for their family.

[[Page H6456]]

This bill does it. It is a major step in the right direction. It is
one that has been done in a bipartisan fashion. And I salute the
leadership on both sides of the aisle of the committee for getting the
job done.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I reserve the balance of my time.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 3 minutes to the gentleman from
Texas (Mr. Edwards).
Mr. EDWARDS. Madam Speaker, there is no way our Nation can fully
repay military widows and their children who have lost their loved ones
in service to our country. However, at the very least we should see
that the burden that these families bear is not made heavier by
financial difficulties in the wake of their deep personal losses.

{time} 1200

That is what this legislation is all about. And I want to
congratulate the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi) and the gentlewoman
from Nevada (Ms. Berkley) for their authorship and leadership on this
bill. I want to salute my colleague and leader on the Committee on
Veterans' Affairs, the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer), for his work
in bringing this together on a bipartisan basis. I salute my Democratic
colleague, the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans).
When we work on things, important legislation, together on a
bipartisan basis, the press galleries are always empty. But that is not
a reflection on the importance this legislation, because it will make a
true difference in the lives of great American citizens and families
who have sacrificed so much for all of us.
Congress with this bill has taken the first step in the right
direction by increasing the death gratuity from $12,420, a paltry
amount, to a more significant $100,000 in the 2006 defense
authorization bill. I want to emphasize we must absolutely pass that
increase this year and make it permanent.
In this bill, H.R. 3200, by increasing life insurance from $250,000
to $400,000 for servicemembers' families, we take an important step
forward in helping our military families and loved ones who have paid
such a dear price and sacrifice to our Nation. If fully enacted, the
increase in death gratuity to $100,000 and the availability of
relatively low-cost life insurance up to $400,000 should make it
difficult if not impossible for anyone to try to take advantage of our
military families by selling them outdated, over-priced life insurance
policies.
As our Nation asks more and more from our military families and our
war on terrorism, Congress has a moral obligation to provide all of our
military families with quality education, housing, and health care. And
when a service man or woman has paid the ultimate price, we have a
moral responsibility to provide financial security to their widow and
their children.
This bill is not the final fulfillment to our obligation to our
service men and women and veterans, but it certainly takes us in the
right direction. It is a good bill. I salute all of those who had a
hand in making it possible for its passage today.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield 2 minutes to the gentleman from
Illinois (Mr. Evans), a former Marine, a true warrior on behalf of our
Nation's veterans, and the ranking Democratic member of the committee.
Mr. EVANS. Madam Speaker, I rise in support of H.R. 3200.
Earlier this year, Congress increased the amount of SGLI available to
servicemembers up to $400,000. That provision is scheduled to expire as
of September 30, 2005.
We need to make this increase permanent. The costs for this increase
would be borne by the men and women who are covered under the SGLI
program. SGLI is an insurance program paid by the men and women who are
insured. Only in times of war when there is a marked increase in
servicemember deaths does the government contribute payments for extra
hazards.
H.R. 3200 will receive my full support, and it deserves the support
of all Members of this House.
Madam Speaker, I rise in strong support of H.R. 3200, the
Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005.
Earlier this year, in Public Law 109-13, Congress increased the
amount of Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance, SGLI, available to
servicemembers. That provision is scheduled to expire as of September
30, 2005. This bill would make the $400,000 of coverage provided on a
temporary basis in Public Law 109-13, permanent.
The costs for this increased amount of insurance would be borne by
the men and women who are covered under the SGLI program. We must never
forget that SGLI is an insurance program, paid for by the men and women
who are insured.
Only in times of war when there is a marked increase in servicemember
deaths, is the government charged for the ``extra hazards'' of this
insurance. No government payments were made between the end of the
Vietnam era and 2003. During the last 3 years, the military services
have contributed to the cost of payments for ``excess deaths'', the
number of deaths which exceed the expected death rate by more than 8
percent, resulting primarily from military operations in Afghanistan
and Iraq.
H.R. 3200 also establishes criteria for notification to the spouse or
next of kin when a servicemember elects less than the maximum amount of
SGLI and notification to a spouse when a servicemember names a
beneficiary who is neither the spouse nor child.
Generally, I would expect that a servicemember would discuss his or
her financial decisions with persons who may be beneficiaries of a life
insurance policy. The notice provisions may be helpful in those
situations where a servicemember inadvertently fails to inform their
next of kin or spouse of these decisions.
I am strongly opposed to the provision included in Public Law 109-13
which would require a married servicemember to obtain the consent of
their spouse, even in situations where the spouses are estranged, if
less than the maximum amount of coverage is selected. I am pleased that
that provision would be repealed by this bill.
I also believe that no notice should be provided when a servicemember
names a child or children rather than their current spouse as the
beneficiary of a SGLI policy. Servicemembers are in the best position
to determine whether a spouse or child, or some combination of spouse
and child should receive the proceeds of their SGLI in the event of the
servicemember's death.
Finally, the bill would allow a servicemember to decline coverage
under the traumatic injury protection of Public Law 109-13. This
insurance, like SGLI, is paid for by the servicemembers with extra
hazards coverage for excess traumatic injuries in wartime paid by the
military services.
I urge all members to support this bill, so that enhanced coverage
currently provided under SGLI will not lapse on September 30, 2005.
H.R. 3200 will receive my full support and it deserves the support of
all Members of this House.
Ms. BERKLEY. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time. I
urge all of my colleagues to support H.R. 3200. I am absolutely
delighted we were able to do this prior to the August recess so that we
can assure continuity for our veterans.
Madam Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
Mr. BUYER. Madam Speaker, I yield myself the balance of my time.
Madam Speaker, I would like to commend the gentleman from New York
(Mr. Walsh) and the ranking member, the gentleman from Texas (Mr.
Edwards), of the Subcommittee on Military Quality of Life and Veterans
Affairs, and Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations when
they took up this matter at the request of the President.
I also would like to commend the hard work of the gentleman from
Florida (Mr. Miller), the chairman of the Subcommittee on Disability
Assistance and Memorial Affairs of the Committee on Veterans' Affairs,
in the consideration of this bill in a timely fashion and ensuring that
the Servicemember Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act of 2005 was
quickly passed.
I also want to note that the gentleman has been actively involved in
these insurance provisions since we were first made aware of them.
Following the submission of the supplemental, he convened a roundtable
with the administration officials, and he has taken a lead on the
crafting of this bill; and I want to thank him for his efforts.
I also want to commend the gentlewoman from Nevada (Ms. Berkley), the
ranking member, for working with the gentleman from Florida (Mr.
Miller) on this legislation. Her input was valuable, and we appreciate
her efforts on behalf of men and women who wear the uniform and our
veterans.
I also again want to commend the gentleman from Arizona (Mr. Renzi)

[[Page H6457]]

for his contributions to this legislation. I also reserve the last of
my thanks to the gentleman from Illinois (Mr. Evans), the ranking
member of full committee, for his good work.
Congress must act promptly to ensure permanent SGLI authorization is
enacted before September 30 of 2005, or the coverage levels for
servicemember life insurance will revert to $250,000 on October 1 of
2005. I do not believe any Member of this body would want to see that
happen. I strongly urge my colleagues to give favorable consideration
to H.R. 3200.
Mr. BISHOP of New York. Mr. Speaker, I proudly rise today in support
of H.R. 3200, the Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act
of 2005.
As our brave men and women continue to put their lives on the line
for our Nation, we owe each of them the peace of mind they were
promised, and to make it easier for their families with the knowledge
that they will be cared for in a catastrophe.
Active duty personnel fulfill a critical mission in our fighting
forces, and they should feel comfortable knowing that their loved ones
will be provided for in the event of debilitating injury or death. I am
pleased that we are expanding current benefits to adequately care for
military families.
The Servicemembers' Group Life Insurance Act was passed to provide
peace of mind for active duty personnel. However, since the creation of
life insurance for those in the armed forces, benefits have not kept up
with need, and it is now appropriate that we increase the maximum
payments to families from $250,000 to $400,000.
Mr. Speaker, I am pleased that we are working to correct this problem
by offering this bill, and by expanding benefits to our active duty
forces and providing a safety net for military families who suffer the
unthinkable loss of a loved one.
Mr. MILLER of Florida. Mr. Speaker, Public Law 109-13, the Emergency
Supplemental, included provisions which made changes to VA's insurance
program for active duty servicemembers. However, these changes expire
on September 30, 2005.
H.R 3200 would:
Repeal section 1012 of the Supplemental, the section dealing with the
insurance changes, and replace it with the text of H.R. 3200. This will
reduce the administrative burden on the Department of Veterans Affairs
and the Department of Defense who are currently promulgating
regulations that are to be in effect for one month before the law
expires;
Make permanent the increase from $250,000 to $400,000 in maximum
Servicemembers' Group and Veterans' Group Life Insurance coverage;
Make permanent the increments of SGLI coverage from $10,000 to
$50,000; and
Require the military service Secretary concerned to notify a
servicemember's spouse or unmarried servicemember's next-of-kin, in
writing, if the servicemember declines SGLI or chooses an amount less
than the maximum, and also require the military service Secretary
concerned to notify a spouse if someone other than the spouse or child
is designated as the policyholders' beneficiary.
This language was included in H.R. 2046, which passed the House on
May 23: Clarify that spousal notification requirement does not apply to
Veterans' Group Life Insurance; and Permit a servicemember to decline
Traumatic Injury Protection coverage established by section 1032 of
Public Law 109-13.
There were no public hearings regarding the servicemembers' and
veterans' insurance changes prior to House and Senate passage of the
defense emergency supplemental. However, on March 6, 2005, the
Veterans' Affairs Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial
Affairs held a roundtable briefing on these provisions with officials
from the Department of Veterans Affairs, the Department of Defense, and
private sector insurance representatives. Last month, the Subcommittee
held a hearing on these proposals and this bill is a response to issues
and concerns I and others had with the insurance provisions contained
in the Supplemental.
In addition to the provisions noted above, the Supplemental also
provided for a new Traumatic Injury Protection program.
As Chairman Buyer indicated in his opening statement, this program--
which goes into effect on December 1 of this year but is retroactive to
October 7, 2001--will provide financial assistance from $25,000 to
$100,000 to servicemembers who suffer certain traumatic injuries.
Under current law, participation in the new program is mandatory and
those covered must pay premiums. Although the Department of Veterans
Affairs estimate the premium to be as Iowa $1 a month, I do not believe
Congress should be making financial decisions for the men and women who
serve in our armed forces, Coast Guard, National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration, and the Public Health Service--all of whom
are covered under this new program.
Therefore, section 6 of H.R. 3200 would allow a servicemember to
decline traumatic injury coverage. I view our role as ensuring that our
servicemembers have a variety of options to assist them in planning for
the future. If at a later date someone wants to participate, they would
be able to elect coverage upon written application, and coverage would
apply with respect to injuries occurring after the subsequent election.
Mr. Speaker, I applaud Ms. Berkley, the ranking member of the
Subcommittee on Disability Assistance and Memorial Affairs, for her
active participation in crafting this bill, as well as the subcommittee
vice chairman, Jeb Bradley, and a former member of the Committee, Rick
Renzi. This has indeed been a team effort.
I also want to thank the subcommittee staffs on both sides of the
aisle, and the Office of Legislative Counsel for their technical
assistance.
Finally, I commend Chairman Buyer and Ranking Member Evans for their
continuing leadership.
Mr. Speaker, I urge my colleagues to support the Servicemembers'
Group Life Insurance Enhancement Act.
Mr. REYES. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of H.R. 3200,
the Servicemembers Group Life Insurance (SGLI) Enhancement Act of 2005.
Since 1965, the SGLI program has been providing insurance coverage
for our men and women in uniform. While the SGLI initially covered only
active duty servicemembers, today it extends coverage to our nation's
guard and reserve forces as well.
This legislation would increase the minimum SGLI coverage from
$10,000 to $50,000 and make permanent the increase in maximum coverage
from $250,000 to $400,000. This increased insurance coverage would
become available for any servicemember wanting to participate.
The war on terror has placed greater demands on all of our active
duty and reserve forces at home and abroad. These brave men and women
have made tremendous sacrifices for our freedom and it is our
responsibility as Members of Congress to do everything possible to
assist them both during and after their service to our country.
Mr. Speaker, my colleagues and I on the House Veterans Affairs
Committee favorably passed H.R. 3200 and as a co-sponsor I would urge
all my colleagues to do the same on the House floor. Thank you.
Ms. BORDALLO. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 3200
because of the importance of making permanent the provisions included
in P.L. 109-13, the War Supplemental, related to the Servicemembers'
Group Life Insurance (SGLI) Program.
SGLI is an important benefit offered to America's servicemembers
particularly during this time of war. Prior to passage of P.L. 109-13,
SGLI provided inadequate life insurance coverage to American servicemen
and women. This inadequacy became intolerable when juxtaposed with the
sacrifices of servicemembers in the War on Terror. With the former
maximum coverage level set at $250,000, a servicemember could not
ensure that his or her family would have sufficient resources to endure
a catastrophic loss. In the 2005 War Supplemental, Congress increased
coverage to $400,000, and, importantly, applied the provision
retroactively in order to provide relief to the many families that had
already lost a loved one in combat. However, the provisions included in
the supplemental will expire in September 2005. H.R. 3200 is important
because it makes permanent the supplemental's provisions on SGLI
including increasing life insurance coverage to $400,000.
America asks her sons and daughters in the Armed Services to make
extreme sacrifices to protect our liberties, our freedom and our way of
life. Tragically, in the prosecution of the War on Terror many of our
Soldiers have made the ultimate sacrifice. We have an obligation to
those fallen heroes to protect the families they left behind. By
providing for SGLI coverage that reflects the degree of our Soldiers'
sacrifices and the needs of families when faced with the loss of a
breadwinner, we are moving a step closer to fully and properly caring
for America's heroes. This is not an option, but an obligation.
I am pleased that the over one hundred thousand troops now deployed
into combat zones in support of the War on Terror can rest easier
knowing they will permanently have access to affordable and sufficient
life insurance. While they protect all of us from duty stations
overseas, today we are helping protect them here at home.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, I yield back the balance of my time.
The SPEAKER pro tempore (Mr. Issa). The question is on the motion
offered by the gentleman from Indiana (Mr. Buyer) that the House
suspend the rules and pass the bill, H.R. 3200.

[[Page H6458]]

The question was taken.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. In the opinion of the Chair, two-thirds of
those present have voted in the affirmative.
Mr. BUYER. Mr. Speaker, on that I demand the yeas and nays.
The yeas and nays were ordered.
The SPEAKER pro tempore. Pursuant to clause 8 of rule XX and the
Chair's prior announcement, further proceedings on this motion will be
postponed.

____________________