[Congressional Bills 113th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 1671 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

113th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                S. 1671

 To delay the implementation of the individual health coverage mandate 
         under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                            November 7, 2013

 Mr. Manchin (for himself and Mr. Kirk) introduced the following bill; 
     which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To delay the implementation of the individual health coverage mandate 
         under the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Congress must ensure that healthcare is affordable and 
        accessible.
            (2) Political disagreements must be set aside so that 
        Congress and the President can work together to improve 
        healthcare quality, access, and affordability.
            (3) Affordable access to preventative care can provide 
        enormous benefits and reduce overall costs to all Americans, 
        young and old.
            (4) Individuals and families are ultimately responsible and 
        accountable for their own well-being and long-term health, and 
        our laws should reflect this reality.
            (5) Subscribing to a healthy lifestyle should be a goal for 
        all Americans, and Congress should act in an appropriate and 
        responsible manner to make this goal achievable.
            (6) There are many positive reforms included in the Patient 
        Protection and Affordable Care Act that are improving coverage, 
        ending discrimination, and reducing costs. Requiring insurers 
        to cover pre-existing conditions, maternity care, and emergency 
        services and allowing young adults to stay on their parents' 
        plans until age 26 are examples of positive reforms in the Act 
        that must continue to be implemented.
            (7) Nevertheless, it is important to recognize when a new 
        program is not meeting the high standards that the American 
        people expect. So far, the Federal healthcare exchanges have 
        failed, and we must deliver a better product.
            (8) While every program must go through a transition 
        period, no individual or family should be penalized while the 
        problems in new healthcare exchanges are being addressed.
            (9) Congress should work toward fixing these flaws and 
        ensuring the new programs are strong, while giving the American 
        people a transition period.
            (10) Delaying the implementation of the Patient Protection 
        and Affordable Care Act is not an appropriate or responsible 
        action, but Congress should not hesitate to enact commonsense 
        reforms, such as an individual mandate transition year, to 
        improve this important legislation.

SEC. 2. 1-YEAR DELAY OF INDIVIDUAL HEALTH COVERAGE MANDATE.

    (a) In General.--Subsection (a) of section 5000A of the Internal 
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking ``2013'' and inserting 
``2014''.
    (b) Conforming Amendments.--
            (1) Subparagraph (B) of section 5000A(c)(2) of the Internal 
        Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by striking clause (i) and by 
        redesignating clauses (ii) and (iii) as clauses (i) and (ii), 
        respectively.
            (2) Subparagraph (B) of section 5000A(c)(3) of such Code is 
        amended by striking ``$95 for 2014 and''.
            (3) Paragraph (1) of section 5000A(e) of such Code is 
        amended--
                    (A) by striking ``8 percent'' in subparagraph (A) 
                and inserting ``the applicable percentage'',
                    (B) by striking ``Indexing'' in the heading of 
                subparagraph (D) and inserting ``Applicable 
                percentage'', and
                    (C) by striking ``In the case of plan years 
                beginning in any calendar year after 2014, subparagraph 
                (A) shall be applied by substituting for `8 percent''' 
                and inserting ``In the case of plan years beginning in 
                any calendar year, the applicable percentage is''.
    (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall 
apply to months beginning after December 31, 2013.
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