[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 444 Introduced in House (IH)]







105th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 444

To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement 
 Income Security Act of 1974 to assist in assuring health coverage for 
                 workers over 55 who leave employment.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            January 9, 1997

Mr. Stark (for himself, Mr. Lewis of Georgia, Mr. Barrett of Wisconsin, 
 Mr. DeFazio, Mr. Dellums, Mr. Gonzalez, Mr. Green, Mr. Martinez, Mr. 
  Oberstar, Ms. Rivers, and Mr. Towns) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition 
  to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, for a period to be 
subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration 
  of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee 
                               concerned

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 and the Employee Retirement 
 Income Security Act of 1974 to assist in assuring health coverage for 
                 workers over 55 who leave employment.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. CONTINUATION OF COVERAGE FOR PERSONS AGED 55 OR OLDER.

    (a) In General.--Section 4980B(f)(2) of the Internal Revenue Code 
of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) Coverage for persons aged 55 or older.--In 
                the case of a covered employee who has attained the age 
                of 55 before incurring the qualifying event described 
                in paragraph (3)(B), after the period described in 
                subparagraph (B)(i)(I)--
                            ``(i) the coverage extends until the 
                        qualifying event described in paragraph (3)(D) 
                        without regard to subclauses (II) through (V) 
                        of subparagraph (2)(B)(i), and
                            ``(ii) the premium requirements for any 
                        period of continuation of coverage solely by 
                        reason of clause (i) apply by substituting `110 
                        percent' for `102 percent' in subparagraph 
                        (2)(C)(i), unless the last sentence of 
                        subparagraph (2)(C) otherwise applies.''
    (b) Section 602 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 
1974 is amended by adding at the end the following:
            ``(6) Coverage for persons aged 55 or older.--In the case 
        of a covered employee who has attained the age of 55 before 
        incurring the qualifying event described in paragraph (2) of 
        section 603, after the period described in subparagraph 
        (2)(A)(i) of this section--
                    ``(A) the coverage extends until the qualifying 
                event described in paragraph (4) of section 603 without 
                regard to subclauses (ii) through (v) of subparagraph 
                (2)(A)(i) of section 602, and
                    ``(B) the premium requirements for any period of 
                continuation of coverage solely by reason of clause (A) 
                apply by substituting `110 percent' for `102 percent' 
                in subparagraph (3)(A) of section 602, unless the last 
                sentence of subparagraph (3) otherwise applies.''
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply with respect to plan years beginning after December 31, 1997.
                                 <all>