§ 8714b — Additional Optional Life Insurance

(a) Under the conditions, directives, and terms specified in sections 8709 through 8712 of this title, the Office of Personnel Management, without regard to section 6101(b) to (d) of title 41, may purchase a policy which shall make available to each employee insured under section 8702 of this title amounts of additional optional life insurance (without accidental death and dismemberment insurance). An employee may elect coverage under this section without regard to whether the employee has elected coverage under optional insurance available under section 8714a of this title. (1) An employee who is deployed in support of a contingency operation (as that term is defined in section 101(a)(13) of title 10) or an employee of the Department of Defense who is designated as emergency essential under section 1580 of title 10 shall be insured under the policy of insurance under this section if the employee, within 60 days after the date of notification of deployment or designation, elects to be insured under the policy of insurance. An election under this paragraph shall be effective when provided to the Office in writing, in the form prescribed by the Office, within such 60-day period. (2) The additional optional insurance provided under this section shall be made available to each eligible employee who has elected coverage under this section, under conditions the Office shall prescribe, in multiples, at the employee’s election, of 1, 2, 3, 4, or 5 times the annual rate of basic pay payable to the employee (rounded to the next higher multiple of $1,000). An employee may reduce or stop coverage elected pursuant to this section at any time. (1) Except as otherwise provided in this subsection, the additional optional insurance elected by an employee pursuant to this section shall stop on separation from service or 12 months after discontinuance of his pay, whichever is earlier, subject to a provision for temporary extension of life insurance coverage and for conversion to an individual policy of life insurance under conditions approved by the Office. Justices and judges of the United States described in section 8701(a)(5)(ii) and (iii) of this chapter are deemed to continue in active employment for purposes of this chapter. A justice or judge of the United States as defined by section 8701(a)(5) of this title who resigns his office without meeting the requirements of section 371(a) of title 28, United States Code, for continuation of the judicial salary shall have the right to convert additional optional life insurance coverage issued under this section during his judicial service to an individual policy of life insurance under the same conditions approved by the Office governing conversion of basic life insurance coverage for employees eligible as provided in section 8706(a) of this title. (2) In the case of any employee who retires on an immediate annuity or who becomes entitled to receive compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title because of disease or injury to the employee, so much of the additional optional insurance as has been in force for not less than— (A) the 5 years of service immediately preceding the date of retirement or entitlement to compensation, or (B) the full period or periods of service during which the insurance was available to the employee, if fewer than 5 years, (3) The amount of additional optional insurance continued under paragraph (2) shall be continued, with or without reduction, in accordance with the employee’s written election at the time eligibility to continue insurance during retirement or receipt of compensation arises, as follows: (A) The employee may elect to have withholdings cease in accordance with subsection (d), in which case— (i) the amount of additional optional insurance continued under paragraph (2) shall be reduced each month by 2 percent effective at the beginning of the second calendar month after the date the employee becomes 65 years of age and is retired or is in receipt of compensation; and (ii) the reduction under clause (i) shall continue for 50 months at which time the insurance shall stop. (B) The employee may, instead of the option under subparagraph (A), elect to have the full cost of additional optional insurance continue to be withheld from such employee’s annuity or compensation on and after the date such withholdings would otherwise cease pursuant to an election under subparagraph (A), in which case the amount of additional optional insurance continued under paragraph (2) shall not be reduced, subject to paragraph (4). (C) An employee who does not make any election under the preceding provisions of this paragraph shall be treated as if such employee had made an election under subparagraph (A). (4) If an employee makes an election under paragraph (3)(B), that individual may subsequently cancel such election, in which case additional optional insurance shall be determined as if the individual had originally made an election under paragraph (3)(A). (A) An employee whose additional optional insurance under this section would otherwise stop in accordance with paragraph (1) and who is not eligible to continue insurance under paragraph (2) may elect, under conditions prescribed by the Office of Personnel Management, to continue all or a portion of so much of the additional optional insurance as has been in force for not less than— (i) the 5 years of service immediately preceding the date of the event which would cause insurance to stop under paragraph (1); or (ii) the full period or periods of service during which the insurance was available to the employee, if fewer than 5 years, (B) When an employee or former employee elects to continue additional optional insurance under this paragraph following separation from service or 12 months without pay, the insured individual shall submit timely payment of the full cost thereof, plus any amount the Office determines necessary to cover associated administrative expenses, in such manner as the Office shall prescribe by regulation. Amounts required under this subparagraph shall be deposited, used, and invested as provided under section 8714 and shall be reported and accounted for together with amounts withheld under section 8714a(d). (i) Subject to clause (ii), no election to continue additional optional insurance may be made under this paragraph 3 years after the effective date of this paragraph. (ii) On and after the date on which an election may not be made under clause (i), all additional optional insurance under this paragraph for former employees shall terminate, subject to a provision for temporary extension of life insurance coverage and for conversion to an individual policy of life insurance under conditions approved by the Office. (1) During each period in which the additional optional insurance is in force on an employee the full cost thereof shall be withheld from the employee’s pay. During each period in which an employee continues additional optional 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 in subsection (c) of this section, the full cost thereof shall be withheld from the former employee’s annuity or compensation, except that, if insurance is continued as provided under subsection (c)(3)(A), beginning at the end of the calendar month in which the former employee becomes 65 years of age, the additional optional life insurance shall be without cost to the former employee. Amounts so withheld (and any amounts withheld as provided in subsection (c)(3)(B)) shall be deposited, used, and invested as provided in section 8714 of this title and shall be reported and accounted for together with amounts withheld under section 8714a(d) of this title. (2) If an agency fails to withhold the proper cost of additional optional insurance from an individual’s salary, compensation, or retirement annuity, the collection of amounts properly due may be waived by the agency if, in the judgment of the agency, the individual is without fault and recovery would be against equity and good conscience. However, if the agency so waives the collection of any unpaid amount, the agency shall submit an amount equal to the uncollected amount to the Office for deposit to the Employees’ Life Insurance Fund. (3) Notwithstanding paragraph (1), an employee who is subject to withholdings under this subsection and whose pay, annuity, or compensation is insufficient to cover such withholdings may nevertheless continue additional optional insurance if the employee arranges to pay currently into the Employees’ Life Insurance Fund, through the agency or retirement system which administers pay, annuity, or compensation, an amount equal to the withholdings that would otherwise be required under this subsection. (e) The cost of the additional optional insurance shall be determined from time to time by the Office on the basis of the employee’s age relative to such age groups as the Office establishes under section 8714a(e) of this title. (f) The amount of additional optional life insurance in force on an employee at the date of his death shall be paid as provided in section 8705 of this title.