Worker Health Coverage Protection Act
Latest action · Feb 4, 2021 Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S478-483)
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.
- IntroducedFeb 4, 2021
- 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 September 30, 2021. Specifically, the bill treats 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 this health insurance premium assistance, 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 14
Members who signed on, in the order they did. Signatures ran from Feb 4, 2021 to Feb 8, 2021; 12 are original cosponsors, there from the day it was introduced.
| Seat | Cosponsor | Signed on | |
|---|---|---|---|
| D-MN | Amy Klobuchar | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NV | Catherine Cortez Masto | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-RI | Jack Reed | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NV | Jacky Rosen | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NH | Jeanne Shaheen | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-OR | Jeff Merkley | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-CO | Michael F. Bennet | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-CT | Richard Blumenthal | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-NJ | Robert Menendez | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-OH | Sherrod Brown | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-IL | Tammy Duckworth | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MN | Tina Smith | Original | Feb 4, 2021 |
| D-MI | Debbie Stabenow | Feb 8, 2021 | |
| D-MI | Gary C. Peters | Feb 8, 2021 |
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 Feb 5, 2021 |
Actions 2
Everything that happened, newest first.
- Feb 4, 2021Introduced in Senate
- Feb 4, 2021Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance. (text: CR S478-483)
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 S478–S483 | Richard J. Durbin D-IL (text) | Feb 4, 2021 |
Related bills 1
Companion bills and other measures the record links to this one.
| Bill | Title | Relationship | Latest action |
|---|---|---|---|
| S 4714 | Worker Health Coverage Protection Act | Reintroduction of | Sep 24, 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.
- Feb 4, 2021Introduced 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.
