S.Amdt. 2344

SA 2344. Mr. MERKLEY submitted an amendment intended to be proposed
by him to the bill H.R. 5515, to authorize appropriations for fiscal
year 2019 for military activities of the Department of Defense, for
military construction, and for defense activities of the Department of
Energy, to prescribe military personnel strengths for such fiscal year,
and for other purposes; which was ordered to lie on the table; as
follows:

At the end of subtitle C of title VI, add the following:

SEC. 622. ONE-YEAR PERIOD FOR ENROLLMENT IN THE SURVIVOR
BENEFIT PLAN FOR ELIGIBLE PARTICIPANTS WHO HAVE
A SAME-SEX SPOUSE UNDER AN EARLIER OR CURRENT
MARRIAGE.

(a) In General.--Notwithstanding any other provision of
law, any individual eligible for participation, but not
participating, in the Survivor Benefit Plan as of the date of
the enactment of this Act who seeks to participate in the
Plan for the benefit of the same-sex spouse of the individual
under a marriage entered into or recognized as valid before
that date may elect to participate in the plan at any time
during the one-year period beginning on that date in
accordance with section 1448(a)(5) of title 10, United States
Code.
(b) Outreach on Election to Participate for Spouses Under
Marriage After Eligibility.--The Secretary of Defense shall
undertake an active campaign of outreach designed to inform
individuals who are or may become eligible for participation
in the Survivor Benefit Plan of the availability of the
election to participate in the Plan under section 1448(a)(5)
of title 10, United States Code, for individuals who marry,
including individuals with same-sex spouses, after becoming
eligible to participate in the Plan.
(c) Survivor Benefit Plan Defined.--In this section, the
term ``Survivor Benefit Plan'' means the benefit plan
established by subchapter II of chapter 73 of title 10,
United States Code.
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