[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2238 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2238

To authorize the provision of waivers to allow welfare-to-work funds to 
 be used to cover the start-up costs of forming alliances designed to 
  enable small businesses to purchase discounted health insurance for 
  their employees among whom are individuals eligible for assistance 
                    under a welfare-to-work program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             June 16, 1999

 Mr. Baldacci introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
                      Committee on Ways and Means

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To authorize the provision of waivers to allow welfare-to-work funds to 
 be used to cover the start-up costs of forming alliances designed to 
  enable small businesses to purchase discounted health insurance for 
  their employees among whom are individuals eligible for assistance 
                    under a welfare-to-work program.

    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 ``Affordable Health Care For Working 
Families Act''.

SEC. 2. AUTHORITY TO PROVIDE WAIVERS TO ALLOW STATES TO USE WELFARE-TO-
              WORK FUNDS TO COVER THE START-UP COSTS OF SMALL BUSINESS 
              HEALTH INSURANCE PURCHASING ALLIANCES.

    Section 415 of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 615) is amended 
by adding at the end the following:
    ``(e) Waivers To Allow Welfare-to-Work Funds To Be Used To Cover 
the Start-up Costs of Small Business Health Insurance Purchasing 
Alliances.--
            ``(1) Waiver authority.--
                    ``(A) In general.--The Secretary may waive section 
                408(a)(6)(A) to the extent necessary to enable approved 
                entities receiving funds provided under section 
                403(a)(5) to use such funds, subject to subparagraph 
                (B), to cover the start-up costs of forming alliances 
                designed to enable small businesses to purchase 
                discounted health insurance for their employees, and 
                any use of funds pursuant to such a waiver shall be 
                considered an allowable activity for purposes of 
                section 403(a)(5)(C).
                    ``(B) Limitation.--The Secretary, under 
                subparagraph (A), shall allow not more than $2,000,000 
                of the funds provided with respect to a single State 
                under section 403(a)(5) to be used in accordance with 
                subparagraph (A) of this paragraph.
            ``(2) Approved entity.--An entity shall be considered an 
        approved entity for purposes of paragraph (1) if the Secretary 
        determines that the State in which the entity is located--
                    ``(A) has developed a plan to establish a nonprofit 
                health insurance purchasing alliance consisting of 
                small businesses, each of which--
                            ``(i) employs at least 1 individual who is 
                        receiving assistance or benefits provided under 
                        section 403(a)(5);
                            ``(ii) has not less than 2 and not more 
                        than 50 employees;
                            ``(iii) is able to obtain health insurance 
                        through the alliance at the same premium rates 
                        for all employees; and
                            ``(iv) has not obtained health insurance 
                        for any employee during the 365-day period 
                        ending with the establishment of the alliance;
                    ``(B) will regulate any insurance plan offered 
                through the alliance.
            ``(3) Start-up costs.--For purposes of paragraph (1), the 
        term `start-up costs' includes the costs of providing 
        administrative staff and facilities, and the costs of 
        activities in developing the range and scope of an alliance's 
        operations.''.
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