[Congressional Bills 106th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 2689 Introduced in House (IH)]







106th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 2689

  To impose a one-year moratorium on promulgation of new rules by the 
                 Health Care Financing Administration.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             August 3, 1999

   Mr. Ney introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
   Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Commerce, 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 impose a one-year moratorium on promulgation of new rules by the 
                 Health Care Financing Administration.

    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 ``Halting HCFA Act of 1999''.

SEC. 2. ONE-YEAR MORATORIUM ON NEW HCFA RULES.

    (a) In General.--The Administrator of the Health Care Financing 
Administration (directly or through the Secretary of Health and Human 
Services) shall not promulgate any rules or regulations that impose new 
requirements under the Social Security Act (other than requirements 
explicitly imposed under such Act, such as updates and adjustments to 
annual payment amounts) during the one-year period beginning on the 
date of the enactment of this Act, unless the Secretary finds that they 
are needed to preserve health and safety of individuals in the United 
States (such as in the case of lifesaving emergencies).
    (b) Hearings.--During such one-year period, such Administrator 
shall gather the new rules or regulations that the Administrator would 
like to promulgate and during the first six months of that period hold 
public hearings in all regions throughout the United States regarding 
such rules and regulations and the costs and benefits of promulgating 
them.
    (c) Report.--After conducting such public hearings, in the seventh 
month of such one-year period, the Administrator shall submit to 
Congress a report regarding such proposed rules and regulations, 
including the costs and benefits associated with them. In promulgating 
any rules and regulations after the end of such one-year period, the 
Administrator shall consider any comments submitted by the Congress in 
response to such report.
                                 <all>