S 4714 · 116th Congress 2019–2021, ended

Worker Health Coverage Protection Act

Introduced Sep 24, 2020 Originated Senate Sponsor Richard J. Durbin D-IL

Fact sheet

Latest action · Sep 24, 2020 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S5869-5874)

Progress

Where this bill reached, and when. A stage with no date was not reached; one that failed a vote and later carried shows the date it carried.

  1. IntroducedSep 24, 2020
  2. Passed SenateNot reached
  3. Passed HouseNot reached
  4. To the PresidentNot reached
  5. Became lawNot reached

Summary

Worker Health Coverage Protection Act

This bill provides health insurance premium assistance to individuals who become unemployed or are furloughed during the period beginning on March 1, 2020, and ending on January 31, 2021. Specifically, the bill treats such premiums as paid for individuals who (1) are terminated from employment and elect to continue insurance coverage through the COBRA (Consolidated Omnibus Budget Reconciliation Act) program during such period, or (2) receive more than a 30% reduction in work hours during such period but remain eligible for coverage under a group health plan. The bill also specifies requirements for individuals changing, or enrolling in, health plans under the program.

Additionally, the bill requires employers to provide eligible individuals specified written notice about the premium assistance program, including, among other information, available health plan enrollment options and the date that such assistance expires.

The Department of the Treasury must reimburse employers, group health plans, and insurance issuers through a payroll tax credit or refund for unpaid premiums that were treated as paid under the program.

Premium assistance is not considered income for federal income tax purposes or for determining eligibility for federal or state benefits or assistance.

Cosponsors 16

Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Sep 24, 2020 to Oct 21, 2020, with 14 there on the day it was introduced.

SeatCosponsorSigned on
D-MNAmy KlobucharOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-NVCatherine Cortez MastoOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-MIDebbie StabenowOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-CADianne FeinsteinOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-RIJack ReedOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-NVJacky RosenOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-NHJeanne ShaheenOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-ORJeff MerkleyOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-COMichael F. BennetOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-CTRichard BlumenthalOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-NJRobert MenendezOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-OHSherrod BrownOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-ILTammy DuckworthOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-MNTina SmithOriginalSep 24, 2020
D-MIGary C. PetersSep 29, 2020
Show all 16 cosponsors

Actions 2

Everything that happened, newest first.

  1. Sep 24, 2020Introduced in Senate
  2. Sep 24, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S5869-5874)

Related bills 3

Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.

BillTitleRelationshipLatest action
S 4329Continuous Health Coverage for Workers ActRelated billJul 27, 2020
HR 6514Worker Health Coverage Protection ActRelated billApr 14, 2020
HR 6800The Heroes ActRelated billJul 23, 2020

Subjects

Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.

Text 1

Each version as it was printed, newest first.

  1. Sep 24, 2020Introduced in Senate

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Everything here is as published by Congress: the summary is the Congressional Research Service's, the action wording is the clerks', and the subjects are the Library of Congress's. How far it got is read from the actions themselves, taking the most recent one of each kind, so a bill that failed a vote and later passed is shown as having passed. Records come from this bill on Congress.gov and govinfo.gov.