US Congress Senate Bill 1697 (Prior Session Legislation)

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Spectrum: Slight Partisan Bill (Republican 11-4)
Status: Introduced on June 25 2015 - 25% progression, died in chamber
Action: 2016-05-18 - Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
Text: Latest bill text (Introduced) [PDF]

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. Under the arrangement, funds contributed by an employer are excluded from the employer's taxable income and are used to pay or reimburse employees for medical care expenses, including premiums for individual health insurance coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance. Such a reimbursement arrangement: (1) must not pay premiums for an employee covered by a family member's coverage, (2) must be offered to all eligible employees on the same terms and may only vary based on the number of individuals covered, and (3) is not required to provide continuation coverage. Employer contributions to a reimbursement arrangement are not included in an employee's gross income if the employee was covered by the reimbursement arrangement for more than nine months of the year. Employees covered for less than nine months have a percentage of employer contributions included in their gross income, with exceptions. An employee offered affordable individual health insurance coverage under a reimbursement arrangement is not eligible for a premium assistance tax credit. Employers must report contributions to a reimbursement arrangement on their employees' W-2. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to exempt reimbursement arrangements from requirements for health insurance coverage. Insurance offered under a reimbursement arrangement remains subject to the requirements.

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

Sen. Chuck Grassley [R-IA]	Sen. Heidi Heitkamp [D-ND]	Sen. Ron Johnson [R-WI]	Sen. Kelly Ayotte [R-NH]
Sen. Marco Rubio [R-FL]	Sen. Johnny Isakson [R-GA]	Sen. Lisa Murkowski [R-AK]	Sen. Pat Roberts [R-KS]
Sen. David Vitter [R-LA]	Sen. Rob Portman [R-OH]	Sen. Jon Tester [D-MT]	Sen. Michael Bennet [D-CO]
Sen. Christopher Coons [D-DE]	Sen. John Hoeven [R-ND]	Sen. Cory Gardner [R-CO]

Date	Chamber	Action
2016-05-18	Senate	Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held.
2015-06-25	Senate	Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (Sponsor introductory remarks on measure: CR S4652)

HB2911 (Related) 2015-11-16 - Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Type	Source
Summary	https://www.congress.gov/bill/114th-congress/senate-bill/1697/all-info
Text	https://www.congress.gov/114/bills/s1697/BILLS-114s1697is.pdf