Definitions. to the effectve date of the scheduled separation, the separation is considered involuntary for retirement purposes. Any such employee offered, in lieu of separation, a demotion or reassignment to any other position, who resigns rather than accept such demotion or reassignment will, for retirement purposes, be considered as involuntarily separated from the service." It is not necessary in this connection that an actual reduction in force be effected. A notice of separation from the position occupied is sufficient, and it is not necessary that such notice be an actual directive of separation from the agency. Separation from the position because of its abolishment in itself is involuntary and, if the employee chooses to resign in lieu of demotion or reassignment, the separation is involuntary for retirement purposes. If an indefinite or temporary employee was separated under the Commission's instructions for displacement (section 9.105 of the Regulations), or if he resigned after receiving an official displacement notice, he is considered as involuntarily separated from service. If such an employee resigned before receiving an official notice, the separation is voluntary. When the location of an office or unit is changed because of decentralization, or because of the transfer of the functions of an organizational unit, and an employee is separated or resigns solely because he is unable for family or personal reasons to accompany the office or unit to its new location, the action is considered involuntary. However, in order for such action to be considered involuntary, the change in the location of the office or unit must be such that the employee would be compelled to change his place of residence in order to continue in employment. 5 U.S. CODE [Note: This Act will become Effective on July 1, 1960] Chapter 36-Federal Employees' Health Benefits Program [New] § 3001. SEC. 2. As used in this Act (a) "Employee" means an appointive or elective officer or employee in or under the executive, judicial, or legislative branch of the United States Government, including a Government-owned or controlled corporation (but not including any corporation under the supervision of the Farm Credit Administration, of which corporation any member of the board of directors is elected or appointed by private interests), or of the municipal government of the District of Columbia, and includes an Official Reporter of Debates of the Senate and a person employed by the Official Reporters of Debates of the Senate in connection with the performance of their official duties, and an employee of Gallaudet College, but does not include (1) a member of a "uniformed service" as such term is defined in section 1072 of title 10 of the United States Code, (2) a noncitizen employee whose permanent-duty station is located outside a State of the United States or the District of Columbia, or (3) an employee of the Tennessee Valley Authority. (b) "Government" means the Government of the United States of America (including the municipal government of the District of Columbia). (c) "Annuitant" means— (1) an employee who on or after the effective date of the provisions referred to in section 16 retires on an immediate annuity, under the Civil Service Retirement Act or other retirement system for civilian employees of the Government, after twelve or more years of service or for disability, (2) a member of a family who receives an immediate annuity as the survivor of a retired employee described in clause (1) or of an employee who dies after completing five or more years of service, (3) an employee who receives monthly compensation under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act as a result of injury sustained or illness contracted on or after such date of enactment and who is determined by the Secretary of Labor to be unable to return to duty, and (4) a member of a family who receives monthly compensation under the Federal Employees' Compensation Act as the surviving beneficiary of (A) an employee who, having completed five or more years of service, dies as a result of illness or injury compensable under such Act or (B) a former employee who is separated after having completed five or more years of service and who dies while receiving monthly compensation under such Act on account of injury sustained or illness contracted on or after such date of enactment and has been held by the Secretary of Labor to have been unable to return to duty. For the purpose of this subsection, "service" means service which is creditable for the purposes of the Civil Service Retirement Act. (d) "Member of family" means an employee's or annuitant's spouse and any unmarried child (1) under the age of nineteen years (including (A) an adopted child, and (B) a stepchild or recognized natural child who lives with the employee or annuitant in a regular parentchild relationship), or (2) regardless of age who is incapable of selfsupport because of mental or physical incapacity that existed prior to his reaching the age of nineteen years. (e) "Dependent husband" means a husband who is incapable of selfsupport by reason of mental or physical disability which can be expected to continue for more than one year. (f) "Health benefits plan" means a group insurance policy or contract, medical or hospital service agreement, membership or subscription contract, or similar group arrangement provided by a carrier for the purpose of providing, paying for, or reimbursing expenses for health services. (g) "Carrier" means a voluntary association, corporation, partnership, or other nongovernmental organization which is lawfully engaged in providing, paying for, or reimbursing the cost of, health services under group insurance policies or contracts, medical or hospital service agreements, membership or subscription contracts, or similar group arrangements, in consideration of premiums or other periodic charges payable to the carrier, including a health benefits plan duly sponsored or underwirtten by an employee organization. (h) "Commission" means the United States Civil Service Commission. (i) "Employee organization" means an association or other organization of employees which (1) is national in scope or (2) in which membership is open to all employees of a Government department, agency, or independent establishment who are eligible to enroll in a health benefits plan under this Act, and which on or before December 31, 1959, applies to the Commission for approval of a plan provided for by section 3003 (3) of this title. § 3002. Election of coverage (a) Any employee may, at such time, in such manner, and under Employees right such conditions of eligibility as the Commission may by regulation of option. prescribe, enroll in an approved health benefits plan described in section 4 either as an individual or for self and family. Such regu Service benefit plan. Indemnity benefit plan. Employee organization plans. Comprehensive medical plans. lations may provide for the exclusion of employees on the basis of the nature and type of their employment or conditions pertaining thereto, such as, but not limited to, short-term appointments, seasonal or intermittent employment, and employment of like nature, but no employee or group of employees shall be excluded solely on the basis of the hazardous nature of their employment. (b) Any annuitant who at the time he becomes an annuitant shall have been enrolled in a health benefits plan under this chapter (1) for a period not less than (A) the five years of service immediately preceding retirement or (B) the full period or periods of service between the last day of the first period, as prescribed by regulations of the Commission, in which he is eligible to enroll in such a plan and the date on which he becomes an annuitant, whichever is shorter, or (2) as a member of the family of an employee or annuitant may continue his enrollment under such conditions of eligibility as may be prescribed by regulations of the Commission. (c) If an employee has a spouse who is an employee, either spouse (but not both) may enroll for self and family, or either spouse may enroll as an individual, but no person may be enrolled both as an employee or annuitant and as a member of the family. (d) A change in the coverage of any employee or annuitant, or of any employee or annuitant and members of his family, enrolled in a health benefits plan under this Act may be made by the employee or annuitant upon application filed within sixty days after the occurrence of a change in family status or at such other times and under such conditions as may be prescribed by regulations of the Commission. (e) A transfer of enrollment from one health benefits plan described in section 3003 to another such plan may be made by an employee or annuitant at such times and under such conditions as may be prescribed by regulations of the Commission. § 3003. Health benefits plans The Commission may contract for or approve the following health benefits plans: (1) SERVICE BENEFIT PLAN.-One Government-wide plan (offering two levels of benefits) under which payment is made by a carrier under contracts with physicians, hospitals, or other providers of health services for benefits of the types described in section 3004 (1) of this title rendered to employees or annuitants, or members of their families, or, under certain conditions, payment is made by a carrier to the employee or annuitant or member of his family. (2) INDEMNITY BENEFIT PLAN.-One Government-wide plan (offering two levels of benefits) under which a carrier agrees to pay certain sums of money, not in excess of the actual expenses incurred, for benefits of the types described in section 3004 (2) of this title. (3) EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION PLANS.-Employee organization plans which offer benefits of the types referred to in section 3004 (3) of this title, which are sponsored or underwritten, and are administered, in whole or substantial part, by employee organizations, which are available only to persons (and members of their families) who at the time. of enrollment are members of the organization, and which on July 1, 1959, provided health benefits to members of the organization. (4) COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL PLANS.— (A) GROUP-PRACTICE PREPAYMENT PLANS.-Group-practice prepayment plans which offer health benefits of the types referred to in section 3004 (4) of this title, in whole or in substantial part on a prepaid basis, with professional services thereunder provided by physicians practicing as a group in a common center or centers. Such a group shall include physicians representing at least three major med ical specialties who receive all or a substantial part of their professional income from the prepaid funds. (B) INDIVIDUAL-PRACTICE PREPAYMENT PLANS.-Individual-practice prepayment plans which offer health services in whole or substantial part on a prepaid basis, with professional services thereunder provided by individual physicians who agree, under certain conditions approved by the Commission, to accept the payments provided by the plans as full payment for covered services rendered by them including, in addition to in-hospital services, general care rendered in their offices and the patients' homes, out-of-hospital dianostic procedures, and preventive care, and which plans are offered by organizations which have successfully operated such plans prior to approval by the Commission of the plan in which employees may enroll. §3004. Types of benefits The benefits to be provided under plans described in section 3003 may be of the following types: (1) SERVICE BENEFIT PLAN. (A) Hospital benefits. (B) Surgical benefits. (C) In-hospital medical benefits. (D) Ambulatory patient benefits. (2) INDEMNITY BENEFIT PLAN. (A) Hospital care. (B) Surgical care and treatment. (C) Medical care and treatment. (D) Obstetrical benefits. (E) Prescribed drugs, medicines, and prosthetic devices. (3) EMPLOYEE ORGANIZATION PLANS.-Benefits of the types specified in this section under paragraph (1) or (2) or both. (4) COMPREHENSIVE MEDICAL PLANS.-Benefits of the types specified in this section under paragraph (1) or (2) or both. All plans contracted for under paragraphs (1) and (2) shall include benefits both for costs associated with care in a general hospital and for other health service costs of a catastrophic nature. Service benefit plan. Indemnity benefit plan. Employee organiza tion plans. Comprehensive med ical plans. Agricultural research. Research in home economics, improvement, and welfare. Veterans' farm loans. TITLE 7-AGRICULTURE Chapter 14-Agricultural Experiment Stations § 361a. Congressional declaration of purpose; definitions. It is the policy of Congress to continue the agricultural research at State agricultural experiment stations which has been encouraged and supported by the Hatch Act of 1887, the Adams Act of 1906, the Purnell Act of 1925, the Bankhead-Jones Act of 1935, and title I, section 9, of that Act as added by the Act of August 14, 1946, and Acts amendatory and supplementary thereto, and to promote the efficiency of such research by a codification and simplification of such laws. As used in sections 361a-361i of this title, the terms "State" or "States" are defined to include the several States, Hawaii, and Puerto Rico. As used in sections 361a-361i of this title, the term "State agricultural experiment station" means a department which shall have been established, under direction of the college or university or agricultural departments of the college or university in each State in accordance with sections 301-305, 307, and 308 of this title; or such other substantially equivalent arrangements as any State shall determine. §361b. Congressional statement of policy; research, investigations and experiments. It is further the policy of the Congress to promote the efficient production, marketing, distribution, and utilization of products of the farm as essential to the health and welfare of our peoples and to promote a sound and prosperous agriculture and rural life as indispensable to the maintenance of maximum employment and national prosperity and security. It is also the intent of Congress to assure agriculture a position in research equal to that of industry, which will aid in maintaining an equitable balance between agriculture and other segments of our economy. It shall be the object and duty of the State agricultural experiment stations through the expenditure of the appropriations hereinafter authorized to conduct original and other researches, investigations, and experiments bearing directly on and contributing to the establishment and maintenance of a permanent and effective agricultural industry of the United States, including researches basic to the problems of agriculture in its broadest aspects, and such investigations as have for their purpose the development and improvement of the rural home and rural life and the maximum contribution by agriculture to the welfare of the consumer, as may be deemed advisable, having due regard to the varying conditions and needs of the respective States. Chapter 33-Farm Tenancy § 1001. Power of Secretary; persons eligible; preferences, conditions for loan or mortgage. (c). *** (1) Loans may be made to veterans or mortgages insured for veterans, as defined in subsection (b) (2) of this section, who have pensionable disabilities, with respect to farm units of sufficient size to meet the farming capabilities of such veterans and afford them income which, together with their pensions, will enable them to meet |