Worker Health Coverage Protection Act
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.
- IntroducedSep 24, 2020
- Passed SenateNot reached
- Passed HouseNot reached
- To the PresidentNot reached
- 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; 14 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-CA | Dianne Feinstein | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-MN | Tina Smith | Original | Sep 24, 2020 |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Sep 29, 2020 | |
| D-PA | Robert P. Casey Jr. | Oct 21, 2020 |
Committees 1
Where it was sent and what each committee and subcommittee did with it, in order.
| Chamber | Committee | What it did |
|---|---|---|
| Senate | Finance Committee | Referred Sep 24, 2020 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2020Introduced in Senate
- Sep 24, 2020Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S5869-5874)
In the Congressional Record 1
Days the Record’s own index lists this bill, newest first, with the pages and the members it names. Pages starting H are the House, S the Senate, E Extensions of Remarks.
| Where | In the Record | Members | Date |
|---|---|---|---|
| Senate | Text printed S5869–S5874 | Richard J. Durbin D-IL (text) | Sep 24, 2020 |
Related bills 4
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 263 | Worker Health Coverage Protection Act | Reintroduced Bill | Feb 4, 2021 |
| S 4329 | Continuous Health Coverage for Workers Act | Related bill | Jul 27, 2020 |
| HR 6514 | Worker Health Coverage Protection Act | Related bill | Apr 14, 2020 |
| HR 6800 | The Heroes Act | Related bill | Jul 23, 2020 |
Titles 2
Every title it has carried, official and short, at each stage.
- Official Title as Introduced
- A bill to preserve health benefits for workers.
- Short Title(s) as Introduced
- Worker Health Coverage Protection Act
Subjects
Assigned by the Library of Congress. Policy area: Health.
- Appropriations
- Civil actions and liability
- Congressional oversight
- Consumer affairs
- Disability assistance
- Employee benefits and pensions
- Employment discrimination and employee rights
- Employment taxes
- Government information and archives
- Government trust funds
- Health
- Health care costs and insurance
- Health care coverage and access
- Medicare
- Religion
- Social security and elderly assistance
- Unemployment
Text 1
Each version as it was printed, newest first.
- Sep 24, 2020Introduced in Senate
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; cost estimates are the Congressional Budget Office's, and the hearings are the printed hearings GovInfo publishes, which can appear months after the hearing.
