[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 3425 Introduced in House (IH)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 3425

 To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay the 
individual health insurance mandate and any penalties for violating the 
   individual mandate until after there is a certification that the 
  healthcare.gov website is fully operational, and for other purposes.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            October 30, 2013

 Mr. Lipinski (for himself, Ms. Sinema, Mr. Peters of California, Mr. 
Gallego, Mr. Barber, Mr. Murphy of Florida, Mr. Barrow of Georgia, Mr. 
Vela, and Mr. Garcia) introduced the following bill; which was referred 
to the Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committee on 
Energy and 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 amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to delay the 
individual health insurance mandate and any penalties for violating the 
   individual mandate until after there is a certification that the 
  healthcare.gov website is fully operational, and for other purposes.

    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 ``Health Care Access Fairness and 
Penalty Delay Act of 2013''.

SEC. 2. DELAY IN APPLYING INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE MANDATE AND 
              PENALTY FOR VIOLATING THE MANDATE BEFORE HEALTHCARE.GOV 
              IS CERTIFIED AS BEING FULLY OPERATIONAL.

    Section 5000A of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by 
adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Delay in Application.--
            ``(1) In general.--The provisions of this section shall not 
        apply to an individual for any month that begins earlier than 
        30 days after the end of the extension of enrollment period 
        provided under paragraph (4). In applying the previous 
        provisions of this section, the Secretary of the Treasury shall 
        adjust the dates in this section accordingly based on the 
        application of this subsection.
            ``(2) GAO report on progress on making the website fully 
        operational.--Beginning not later than 30 days after the date 
        of the enactment of the Health Care Access Fairness and Penalty 
        Delay Act of 2013 and monthly thereafter (until such time as 
        the Inspector General submits the certification under paragraph 
        (3)), the Comptroller General of the United States shall submit 
        to Congress and to the Inspector General for the Department of 
        Health and Human Services monthly reports on the progress of 
        the healthcare.gov website in becoming fully operational (as 
        defined in paragraph (5)).
            ``(3) Inspector general of health and human services 
        certification.--Taking into account the reports submitted under 
        paragraph (2), the Inspector General of the Department of 
        Health and Human Services shall make a determination on whether 
        or not the healthcare.gov website is fully operational and, if 
        so, shall submit to Congress (and post on an appropriate public 
        website) a certification that the healthcare.gov website is 
        fully operational.
            ``(4) Extension of initial enrollment period.--The 
        Secretary of Health and Human Services shall take such steps as 
        are necessary to extend the initial enrollment period for 
        individuals in qualified health plans offered through Exchanges 
        under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act so that 
        such period does not end earlier than 90 days after the date of 
        the submittal to Congress of the certification under paragraph 
        (3).
            ``(5) Fully operational defined.--In this subsection, the 
        term `fully operational' means, with respect to the 
        healthcare.gov website, that the website is fully functional 
        and operating in a manner consistent with the role envisioned 
        for Exchanges under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care 
        Act (and the amendments made by such Act).''.
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