1.This Act may be cited as
the Small Business Children's Health
Education Act of 2007
.
2.Congress finds that—
(1)nearly 2,000,000
of the 9,000,000 uninsured children in the United States are currently eligible
for the State Children’s Health Insurance Program based on their family income,
but are not enrolled;
(2)nearly 4,000,000
uninsured children appear to be eligible for Medicaid, but remain
uninsured;
(3)the State
Children’s Health Insurance Program appears to reach only 69 percent of its
target population;
(4)according to a
study conducted by the Urban Institute in February, 2007, among those eligible
for the State Children's Health Insurance Program, children whose families are
self-employed or who work for small business concerns are far less likely to be
enrolled in that program, specifically that 1 out of every 4 eligible children
with parents who work for a small business concern or are self employed are not
enrolled, compared with 1 out of 10 eligible children whose parents work for a
large firm who are not enrolled; and
(5)the Federal
Government can improve the lives of uninsured families eligible for the State
Children's Health Insurance Program through increasing awareness of the
availability, eligibility, and enrollment process for the State Children's
Health Insurance Program (and other private options for health insurance) among
owners of small business concerns.
3.In this Act—
(1)the terms
Administration and Administrator means the Small
Business Administration and the Administrator thereof, respectively;
(2)the term
certified development company means a development company
participating in the program under title V of the Small Business Investment Act
of 1958 (15 U.S.C. 695 et seq.);
(3)the term
Medicaid program means the program established under title XIX of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1396 et seq.);
(4)the term
Service Corps of Retired Executives means the Service Corps of
Retired Executives authorized by section 8(b)(1) of the Small Business Act (15
U.S.C. 637(b)(1));
(5)the term small business
concern has the meaning given that term in section 3 of the Small
Business Act (15 U.S.C. 632);
(6)the term
small business development center means a small business
development center described in section 21 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C.
648);
(7)the term
State has the meaning given that term for purposes of title XXI of
the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.);
(8)the term
State Children’s Health Insurance Program means the State
Children’s Health Insurance Program established under title XXI of the Social
Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1397aa et seq.);
(9)the term
task force means the task force established under section 4(a);
and
(10)the term
women's business center means a women's business center described
in section 29 of the Small Business Act (15 U.S.C. 656).
4.Establishment of
task force
(a)There
is established a task force to conduct a nationwide campaign of education and
outreach for small business concerns regarding the availability of coverage for
children through private insurance options, the Medicaid program, and the State
Children's Health Insurance Program.
(b)The
task force shall consist of the Administrator, the Secretary of Health and
Human Services, the Secretary of Labor, and the Secretary of the
Treasury.
(c)The
campaign conducted under this section shall include—
(1)efforts to
educate the owners of small business concerns about the value of health
coverage for children;
(2)information
regarding options available to the owners and employees of small business
concerns to make insurance more affordable, including Federal and State tax
deductions and credits for health care-related expenses and health insurance
expenses and Federal tax exclusion for health insurance options available under
employer-sponsored cafeteria plans under section 125 of the Internal Revenue
Code of 1986;
(3)efforts to
educate the owners of small business concerns about assistance available
through public programs; and
(4)efforts to
educate the owners and employees of small business concerns regarding the
availability of the hotline operated as part of the Insure Kids Now program of
the Department of Health and Human Services.
(d)In
carrying out this section, the task force may—
(1)use any business
partner of the Administration, including—
(A)a small business
development center;
(B)a certified
development company;
(C)a women's
business center; and
(D)the Service Corps
of Retired Executives;
(2)enter
into—
(A)a memorandum of
understanding with a chamber of commerce; and
(B)a partnership
with any appropriate small business concern or health advocacy group;
and
(3)designate
outreach programs at regional offices of the Department of Health and Human
Services to work with district offices of the Administration.
(e)The
Administrator shall ensure that links to information on the eligibility and
enrollment requirements for the Medicaid program and State Children's Health
Insurance Program of each State are prominently displayed on the website of the
Administration.
(f)
(1)Not later than 2 years after the date of enactment of
this Act, and every 2 years thereafter, the Administrator shall submit to the
Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship of the Senate and the
Committee on Small Business of the House of Representatives a report on the
status of the nationwide campaign conducted under subsection (a).
(2)Each
report submitted under paragraph (1) shall include a status update on all
efforts made to educate owners and employees of small business concerns on
options for providing health insurance for children through public and private
alternatives.