[Congressional Bills 105th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 4835 Introduced in House (IH)]

  2d Session
                                H. R. 4835

   To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the 
  Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
       extend COBRA continuation coverage for surviving spouses.


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                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 14, 1998

Mr. Lampson (for himself, Mr. Romero-Barcelo, and Mr. Frost) introduced 
  the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Ways and 
Means, and in addition to the Committees on Commerce, and 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 Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the 
  Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to 
       extend COBRA continuation coverage for surviving spouses.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``COBRA Extension Act of 1998''.

SEC. 2. EXTENSION OF COBRA CONTINUATION COVERAGE FOR SURVIVING SPOUSES.

    (a) ERISA Amendment.--Section 602(2)(A) of the Employee Retirement 
Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1162(2)(A)) is amended by 
inserting after clause (v) the following new clause:
                            ``(vi) General rule for surviving 
                        spouses.--In the case of a qualifying event 
                        described in section 603(1), the date on which 
                        the surviving spouse becomes entitled to 
                        benefits under title XVIII of the Social 
                        Security Act.''.
    (b) PHSA Amendment.--Section 2202(2)(A) of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300bb-2(2)(A)) is amended by inserting after 
clause (iv) the following new clause:
                            ``(v) General rule for surviving spouses.--
                        In the case of a qualifying event described in 
                        section 2203(1), the date on which the 
                        surviving spouse becomes entitled to benefits 
                        under title XVIII of the Social Security 
                        Act.''.
    (c) Internal Revenue Code Amendment.--Section 4980B(f)(2)(B)(i) of 
the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 (relating to period of continuation 
coverage) is amended by inserting after subclause (V) the following new 
subclause:
                                    ``(VI) General rule for surviving 
                                spouses.--In the case of a qualifying 
                                event described in section 
                                4980B(f)(3)(A), the date on which the 
                                surviving spouse becomes entitled to 
                                benefits under title XVIII of the 
                                Social Security Act.''.
    (d) Effective Dates.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to qualifying events occurring before or after the date of the 
enactment of this Act.
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