US Code

Public Law 119-73 (01/23/2026)

5 U.S.C. § 8707

Employee deductions; withholding

(a)
section 8709 of this title Subject to subsection (c)(2), during each period in which an employee is insured under a policy purchased by the Office of Personnel Management under , there shall be withheld from the employee’s pay a share of the cost of the group life insurance and accidental death and dismemberment insurance.
(b)
(1)
section 8706(b) of this titlesection 8706(b)(3)(A) of this title Subject to subsection (c)(2), whenever life insurance continues after an employee retires on an immediate annuity or while the employee is receiving compensation under subchapter I of chapter 81 of this title because of disease or injury to the employee, as provided in , deductions for insurance shall be withheld from the employee’s annuity or compensation, except that, in any case in which the insurance is continued as provided in , the deductions shall not be made for months after the calendar month in which the employee becomes 65 years of age.
(2)
Notwithstanding paragraph (1) of this subsection, insurance shall be so continued without cost (other than as provided under section 8706(b)(3)(B)) to each employee who so retires, or commences receiving compensation, on or before .
(c)
(1)
The amount withheld from the pay, annuity, or compensation of each employee subject to insurance deductions shall be at the rate, adjusted to the nearest half-cent, of 66⅔ percent of the level cost as determined by the Office for each $1,000 of the employee’s basic insurance amount.
(2)
An employee who is subject to withholdings under this section and whose pay, annuity, or compensation is insufficient to cover such withholdings may nevertheless continue insurance if the employee arranges to pay currently into the Employees’ Life Insurance Fund, through the agency or retirement system that administers pay, annuity, or compensation, an amount equal to the withholdings that would otherwise be required under this section.
(d)
section 8708 of this title If an agency fails to withhold the proper amount of life insurance deductions from an individual’s salary, compensation, or retirement annuity, the collection of unpaid deductions 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 unpaid deductions, the agency shall submit an amount equal to the sum of the uncollected deductions and related agency contributions required under to the Office for deposit to the Employees’ Life Insurance Fund.

Pub. L. 89–55480 Stat. 595Pub. L. 90–206, title IV, § 40281 Stat. 647Pub. L. 95–454, title IX, § 906(a)(2)92 Stat. 1224Pub. L. 96–427, § 4(a)94 Stat. 1833Pub. L. 105–311, § 6(1)112 Stat. 2951(, , ; , , ; , (3), , ; , , ; , , .)

Historical and Revision Notes

Derivation

U.S. Code

Revised Statutes and

Statutes at Large

 

5 U.S.C. 2094(a) (1st par.).

Aug. 17, 1954, ch. 752, § 5(a) (1st par.), 68 Stat. 738.

Sept. 23, 1959, Pub. L. 86–377, § 4(b), 73 Stat. 701.

Standard changes are made to conform with the definitions applicable and the style of this title as outlined in the preface to the report.

Editorial Notes

Amendments

Pub. L. 105–311, § 6(1)(A)1998—Subsec. (a). , substituted “Subject to subsection (c)(2), during” for “During”.

Pub. L. 105–311, § 6(1)(B)Subsec. (b)(1). , substituted “Subject to subsection (c)(2), whenever” for “Whenever”.

Pub. L. 105–311, § 6(1)(C)Subsec. (c). , designated existing provisions as par. (1) and added par. (2).

Pub. L. 96–4271980—Subsec. (a). designated first sentence of existing section as subsec. (a) and substituted “a policy purchased” for “a policy of insurance purchased” and “the employee’s pay a share of the cost” for “the pay of the employee his share of the cost”.

Pub. L. 96–427Subsec. (b). added subsec. (b).

Pub. L. 96–427Subsec. (c). designated second sentence of existing section as subsec. (c) and inserted reference to pay, annuity, or compensation of each employee.

Pub. L. 96–427Subsec. (d). added subsec. (d).

Pub. L. 95–4541978— substituted “Office of Personnel Management” and “Office” for “Civil Service Commission” and “Commission”, respectively.

Pub. L. 90–2061967— struck out reference to the Civil Service Commission’s function of determining the amount to be withheld for group insurance and substituted provisions setting a rate of 66⅔ percent of the level cost of each $1,000 of insurance as determined by the Commission for provisions setting a limit of 25 cents biweekly for each $1,000 of group life insurance and directing the withholding of the amount from employees paid on other than a biweekly basis at a proportional rate adjusted to the nearest cent.

Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries

Effective Date of 1998 Amendment

Pub. L. 105–311section 11(d) of Pub. L. 105–311section 8701 of this titleAmendment by effective on the first day of the first applicable pay period beginning on or after , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1980 Amendment

Pub. L. 96–427section 10(a) of Pub. L. 96–427section 8701 of this titleAmendment by effective , with the amendment to have no effect in case of an employee who died, was separated, or retired before , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1978 Amendment

Pub. L. 95–454section 907 of Pub. L. 95–454section 1101 of this titleAmendment by effective 90 days after , see , set out as a note under .

Effective Date of 1967 Amendment

Pub. L. 90–206section 405(a) of Pub. L. 90–206section 8704 of this titleAmendment by effective on first day of first pay period which begins on or after sixtieth day following , see , set out as a note under .

Retroactive Effect of 1967 Amendment

Pub. L. 90–206section 405(c) of Pub. L. 90–206section 8704 of this titleAmendment by to have no effect in case of an employee who died, was finally separated, or retired prior to , see , set out as a note under .