[Congressional Bills 111th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1488 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

111th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1488

  To extend temporarily the 18-month period of continuation coverage 
  under group health plans required under COBRA continuation coverage 
provisions so as to provide for a total period of continuation coverage 
                          of up to 24 months.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                             July 21, 2009

  Mr. Burris introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
  To extend temporarily the 18-month period of continuation coverage 
  under group health plans required under COBRA continuation coverage 
provisions so as to provide for a total period of continuation coverage 
                          of up to 24 months.

    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 Coverage Extension Act of 
2009''.

SEC. 2. TEMPORARY EXTENSION OF BASIC PERIOD OF COBRA CONTINUATION 
              COVERAGE FROM 18 MONTHS TO 24 MONTHS.

    (a) In General.--In any case in which an individual is eligible for 
and has elected continuation coverage under a COBRA continuation 
coverage provision as of the date of enactment of this Act and the 
period of continuation coverage applicable with respect to such 
individual under such provision would (but for this section) end before 
the end of the period of 12 calendar months following the date of 
enactment of this Act by reason of a limitation under such provision of 
such coverage to 18 months after the date of the qualifying event, such 
limitation shall be extended to the earlier of--
            (1) the end of such period of 12 calendar months; or
            (2) 24 months after the date of the qualifying event.
    (b) COBRA Continuation Coverage Provision.--For purposes of this 
section, the term ``COBRA continuation coverage provision'' means--
            (1) part 6 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee 
        Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1161 et 
        seq.);
            (2) title XXII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
        300bb-1 et seq.);
            (3) section 4980B of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986; or
            (4) section 8905a of title 5, United States Code.
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