A bill to amend the Survivor Benefit Plan provided for in chapter 73 of title 10, United States Code, to permit a person who has elected to participate in such plan to suspend that election when such person has been rated as totally disabled for a specified period of time, and for other purposes.
Latest action. Referred to Senate Committee on Armed Services.
Amends the military retiree Survivor Benefit Plan to permit an individual suffering from a service-connected disability rated by the Veterans' Administration (VA) as totally disabling for a specified period of time, to suspend election in such Plan by submitting written notice to the Secretary of Defense. Authorizes the Secretary, upon receipt of a request for such a suspension, to discontinue the reduction being made in such person's retired or retainer pay on account of participation in the Plan. Requires the individual electing to suspend participation in the Plan to obtain the written consent of the beneficiary or beneficiaries involved. Authorizes the Secretary to furnish to each person who requests suspension of participation in the Plan a written statement of the advantages of participating in the Plan and the disadvantages of suspending participation. Allows a specified time for withdrawal of the suspension request. Permits reenrollment in the Plan if at any time subsequent to such suspension the VA reduces such person's service-connected disability rating to less than total and the individual makes application to the Secretary within the prescribed period. Authorizes the Secretary to resume reductions in such person's retired or retainer pay upon receipt of such application.
Written by analysts at the Congressional Research Service and published on Congress.gov, not by Civibrief. Summarized at the "Introduced in Senate" stage on March 21, 1980. It describes the bill, it is not the legal text.
Where is it in the process, and what happens next?
4 steps remain before this bill could become law.
The record's latest action, on March 21, 1980: Referred to Senate Committee on Armed Services.
- Clearing the committees it was referred to, and being scheduled for a floor vote
- Passage by the Senate
- Passage by the House
- The President's signature. If the President vetoes it, two-thirds of both chambers must vote to override.
How likely is it to become law?
Civibrief does not forecast outcomes and this page has no opinion about this one. What the record supports is a base rate, which is a fact about the whole pile, not a prediction about this measure.
In the 96th Congress (1979-80), 613 of the 12,581 bills and joint resolutions introduced became law, about 4.9 percent. That count covers every measure at every stage, including the many that never left committee.
This one is not there yet: 4 steps are still outstanding, listed above.
Has anyone actually voted on it?
No. No roll call in this Congress cites this measure. That is the ordinary outcome: most measures never reach a recorded floor vote, and a committee ends most of them simply by not acting.
A vote is not the only thing that happens to a measure. Hearings, markups, and referrals are all recorded actions, and none of them is a vote of the full chamber.
Who is behind it?
GORDON HUMPHREY (R-NH) introduced it on March 21, 1980, and 4 members have since signed on as cosponsors.
They come from both major parties: 2 Democrats, 2 Republicans.
Cosponsoring is a formal signature on the text. It is not a commitment to vote for the measure, it does not bind anyone's party, and a long list of cosponsors is a measure of attention rather than of prospects.
How long has it been in play?
It was introduced on March 21, 1980, 16974 days ago. The most recent recorded action was 16974 days ago, on March 21, 1980.
Measures do not carry over. Anything the 96th Congress has not finished by January 3, 1981 dies when the term ends, and has to be introduced again from the start in the next Congress.
Every answer above is assembled from this measure's own record on Congress.gov and from published counts of what Congress has passed before. Civibrief does not predict outcomes and takes no position on any measure.
Vote history
- SenateIn committee, no floor vote yet
- HouseAwaits Senate passage
- PresidentAwaits both chambers