[Congressional Record Volume 142, Number 117 (Friday, August 2, 1996)]
[House]
[Pages H9897-H9898]
From the Congressional Record Online through the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]




  DIRECTING THE CLERK TO MAKE CORRECTION IN ENROLLMENT OF H.R. 3103, 
      HEALTH INSURANCE PORTABILITY AND ACCOUNTABILITY ACT OF 1996

  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, I offer a concurrent resolution (H. Con. 
Res. 208) directing the Clerk of the House of Representatives to make a 
correction in the enrollment of H.R. 3103, and I ask unanimous consent 
for its immediate consideration.
  The Clerk read the title of the concurrent resolution.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  Mr. STARK. Reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, and I shall 
not object, but I would like to engage the distinguished subcommittee 
chair from California in a brief colloquy and ask if he would explain 
what this modest change in the bill does.
  Mr. THOMAS. Mr. Speaker, if the gentleman will yield, my 
understanding is that this change removes the item that was added 
dealing with the

[[Page H9898]]

particular drug used in the treatment of arthritis which would have 
created an equity under the Patent Code with another drug that had been 
given privileged treatment in an earlier piece of legislation that had 
passed.
  My understanding is that the attempt to provide this particular drug 
with equity under the patent law had been tried in a previous 
Democratic Congress, including a number of measures, and they all 
failed. The assumption was, this would be an appropriate route.
  I will tell the gentleman, apparently with the concurrent resolution 
in front of us, there was a conclusion on the Senate side that it was 
not the appropriate route.
  Mr. STARK. Further reserving the right to object, I thank the 
gentleman for his explanation.
  Further reserving the right to object, Mr. Speaker, under that 
reservation I would like to congratulate the distinguished gentleman 
from California, the subcommittee chairman of the Subcommittee on 
Health of the Committee on Ways and Means for his work in completing 
this bill.
  The only reason I could possibly think of to object would be so that 
I could then be recorded voting in favor of it, but I will not take the 
time of this body except to add my congratulations and to say that I am 
glad this was done.
  Mr. Speaker, I withdraw my reservation of objection.
  The SPEAKER pro tempore. Is there objection to the request of the 
gentleman from California?
  There was no objection.
  The Clerk read the concurrent resolution, as follows:

                            H. Con. Res. 208

       Resolved by the House of Representatives (the Senate 
     concurring), That, in the enrollment of the bill (H.R. 3103), 
     to amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 
     portability and continuity of health insurance coverage in 
     the group and individual markets, to combat waste, fraud, and 
     abuse in health insurance and health care delivery, to 
     promote the use of medical savings accounts, to improve 
     access to long-term care services and coverage, to simplify 
     the administration of health insurance, and for other 
     purposes, the Clerk of the House of Representatives shall 
     make the following correction:
       Strike subtitle H of title II of the bill and the items 
     corresponding to such subtitle in the table of contents of 
     the bill in section 1(b).

  The concurrent resolution was agreed to.
  A motion to reconsider was laid on the table.

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