AUTHORITY FOR EXPANSION OF PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUED HEALTH BENEFITS COVERAGE.

SEC. 705. AUTHORITY FOR EXPANSION OF PERSONS ELIGIBLE FOR CONTINUED HEALTH BENEFITS COVERAGE.(a) Authority To Specify Additional Eligible Persons.—Subsection (b) of section 1078a of title 10, United States Code, is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:“(4) Any other person specified in regulations prescribed by the Secretary of Defense for purposes of this paragraph who loses entitlement to health care services under this chapter or section 1145 of this title, subject to such terms and conditions as the Secretary shall prescribe in the regulations.”.(b) Election of Coverage.—Subsection (d) of such section is amended by adding at the end the following new paragraph:“(4) In the case of a person described in subsection (b)(4), by such date as the Secretary shall prescribe in the regulations required for purposes of that subsection.”.(c) Period of Coverage.—Subsection (g)(1) of such section is amended—(1) in subparagraph (B), by striking “and” at the end;(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking the period at the end and inserting “; and”; and(3) by adding at the end the following new subparagraph:“(D) in the case of a person described in subsection (b)(4), the date that is 36 months after the date on which the person loses entitlement to health care services as described in that subsection.”.