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CCH® PENSION — 5/24/07

New Benefits Bills In Congress

from Spencer’s Benefits Reports: Between April 9 and May 8, the following benefits-related bills were introduced in Congress. Included are House and Senate comprehensive health reform bills (H.R. 2034, S. 1218, S. 1221, S. 1169) and a bill to remove the 18 or 36 month limitation on the period of COBRA continuation coverag e (H.R.2047).

  1. H.R. 1871: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to increase, expand the availability of, and repeal the sunset with respect to, the dependent care tax credit. Sponsor: Kirsten E. Gillibrand, (N.Y). Cosponsors (39). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  2. H.R. 1903: To amend the Public Health Service Act and ERISA to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans provide coverage for reconstructive prosthetic urology surgery if they provide coverage for prostate cancer treatment. Sponsor: Edolphus Towns, (N.Y.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Education and Labor.
  3. H.R. 1952: To amend Title XI of the Social Security Act to achieve a national health information infrastructure, and to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to increase the deduction under section 179 for the purchase of qualified health care information technology by medical care providers. Sponsor: Charles A.Gonzalez (Tex.). Cosponsors (6). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  4. H.R. 2002: To amend Title II of the Social Security Act and the Internal Revenue Code to provide for enhanced retirement security in the form of an Individual Social Security Investment Program. Sponsor: Sam Johnson (Tex.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  5. H.R. 2009: To repeal the Medicare cost-containment provisions contained in Subtitle A of Title VIII of the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003. Sponsor: Robert Wexler (Fla.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.
  6. H.R. 2015: To prohibit employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation or gender identity. Sponsor: Barney Frank (Mass.). Cosponsors (93). Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Committees on House Administration, Oversight and Government Reform, and the Judiciary.
  7. H.R. 2034 : To provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Sponsor: John D. Dingell (Mich). Cosponsors (16). Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committees on Energy and Commerce, and Oversight and Government Reform.
  8. H.R. 2047: To remove the 18- or 36-month limitation on the period of COBRA continuation coverage. Sponsor: Charles W. Dent (Penn.). Cosponsors (15). Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Committees on Energy and Commerce, Ways and Means, and Oversight and Government Reform.
  9. H.R. 2056: To amend Part D of Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to improve the Medicare part D prescription drug program. Sponsor: Joe Courtney (Conn.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  10. H.R. 2065: To amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide for a Medicare operated prescription drug plan option to deliver a meaningful drug benefit and lower prescription drug prices under the Medicare Program. Sponsor: Christopher S. Murphy (Conn). Cosponsors (4). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  11. H.R. 2103: To amend Title IV of ERISA to require the Pension Benefit Guaranty Corporation, in the case of airline pilots who are required by regulation to retire at age 60, to compute the actuarial value of monthly benefits in the form of a life annuity commencing at age 60. Sponsor: George Miller (Cal.). Cosponsors (12). Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.
  12. H.R. 2119: To amend Titles I and IV of ERISA to modify the definition of governmental plan with respect to Indian tribal governments. Sponsor: Earl Pomeroy (ND). Cosponsors (2). Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  13. H.R. 2132: To amend the Public Health Service Act to establish a small business health benefits program. Sponsor: Thomas H. Allen (Maine). Cosponsors (10). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Education and Labor.
  14. H.R. 2147: To amend Titles XXI and XIX of the Social Security Act to extend the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) and streamline enrollment under SCHIP and Medicaid and to amend the Internal Revenue Code to provide for a healthy savings tax credit for purchase of children's health coverage. Sponsor: Rahm Emanuel (Ill.). Cosponsors (35). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  15. H.R. 2149: To amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to waive the late enrollment penalty under the Medicare part D benefit for certain months for individuals who are first eligible to enroll for such benefit for 2006 or 2007 and who enroll by the end of the first annual, coordinated election period following their initial enrollment period, to limit the amount of such penalty, and to require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to conduct a study on such penalty. Sponsor: Phil English (Penn.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce and the Committee on Ways and Means.
  16. H.R. 2158: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to repeal the 1993 income tax increase on Social Security benefits. Sponsor: Sam Johnson (Texas). Cosponsors (7). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  17. H.R. 2163: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to expand incentives for saving. Sponsor: Connie Mack (Fla.). Cosponsors (12). Referred to the House Committee on Ways and Means.
  18. H.R. 2167: To amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow employees not covered by qualified retirement plans to save for retirement through automatic payroll deposit IRAs, to facilitate similar saving by the self-employed, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Richard E Neal (Mass.). Cosponsors (4). Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Education and Labor.
  19. H.R. 2184: To amend the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement, and Modernization Act of 2003 to expand comparative effectiveness research and to increase funding for such research to improve the value of health care. Sponsor: Thomas H. Allen (Maine). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and the Committee on Energy and Commerce.

Senate Bills

  1. S. 1107: A bill to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to reduce cost-sharing under Part D of such title for certain non-institutionalized full-benefit dual eligible individuals. Sponsor: Gordon H. Smith (Ore.). Cosponsors (8). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  2. S. 1108: A bill to amend Title XVIII of the Social Security Act to provide a special enrollment period for individuals who qualify for an income-related subsidy under the Medicare prescription drug program and to provide funding for the conduct of outreach and education with respect to the premium and cost-sharing subsidies under such program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Gordon H. Smith (Ore). Cosponsors (4) Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  3. S. 1141: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to allow employees not covered by qualified retirement plans to save for retirement through automatic payroll deposit IRAs, to facilitate similar saving by the self-employed, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Jeff Bingaman (N.M.). Cosponsors (4) Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  4. S. 1169: A bill to ensure the provision of high-quality health care coverage for uninsured individuals through State health care coverage pilot projects that expand coverage and access and improve quality and efficiency in the health care system. Sponsor: Russell D. Feingold (Wis.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  5. S. 1198: A bill to determine successful methods to provide protection from catastrophic health expenses for individuals who have exceeded health insurance lifetime limits, to provide catastrophic health insurance coverage for uninsured individuals, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Gordon H. Smith (Ore.). Cosponsors (1). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  6. S. 1206: A bill to amend Title I of ERISA and the Age Discrimination in Employment Act to clarify the age discrimination rules applicable to the pension plan maintained by the Young Woman’s Christian Association Retirement Fund. Sponsor: Lisa Murkowski (Ark.). Cosponsors (2). Referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
  7. S. 1218: A bill to provide quality, affordable health care for all Americans. Sponsor: Edward M. Kennedy (Mass.). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  8. S. 1221: A bill to provide for the enactment of comprehensive health care reform. Sponsor: John F. Kerry (Mass.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs.
  9. S. 1224 : A bill to amend Title XXI of the Social Security Act to reauthorize the State Children’s Health Insurance Program, and for other purposes. Sponsor: John D. Rockefeller IV (W.V.). Cosponsors (3). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  10. S. 1288: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code and ERISA to increase the retirement security of women and small business owners, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Gordon H. Smith (Ore.). Cosponsors (4). Referred to the Committee on Finance.
  11. S. 1322: A bill to amend the Internal Revenue Code to improve the operation of employee stock ownership plans, and for other purposes. Sponsor: Blanche L. Lincoln (Ark.). Cosponsors (None). Referred to the Committee on Finance.

For more information on this and related topics, consult the CCH Pension Plan Guide, CCH Employee Benefits Management, and Spencer's Benefits Reports.

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