[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 537 Introduced in House (IH)]
<DOC>
115th CONGRESS
1st Session
H. R. 537
To amend the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an exemption to
the individual mandate to maintain health coverage for individuals
residing in counties with fewer than 2 health insurance issuers
offering plans on an Exchange; to require Members of Congress and
congressional staff to abide by the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act with respect to health insurance coverage; and for other
purposes.
_______________________________________________________________________
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
January 13, 2017
Mr. Biggs introduced the following bill; which was referred to the
Committee on Ways and Means, and in addition to the Committees on
Energy and Commerce, House Administration, and Oversight and Government
Reform, 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 Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to provide an exemption to
the individual mandate to maintain health coverage for individuals
residing in counties with fewer than 2 health insurance issuers
offering plans on an Exchange; to require Members of Congress and
congressional staff to abide by the Patient Protection and Affordable
Care Act with respect to health insurance coverage; 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 ``Budget Process Accountability Act''.
SEC. 2. MODIFICATIONS TO EXEMPTION FROM REQUIREMENT TO MAINTAIN HEALTH
COVERAGE.
(a) Exemption for Individuals in Areas With Fewer Than 2 Issuers
Offering Plans on an Exchange.--Section 5000A(e) of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by adding at the end the following new
paragraph:
``(6) Individuals in areas with fewer than 2 issuers
offering plans on an exchange.--
``(A) In general.--Any applicable individual for
any period during a calendar year if there are fewer
than 2 health insurance issuers offering qualified
health plans on an Exchange for such period in the
county in which the applicable individual resides.
``(B) Aggregation rules.--For purposes of
subparagraph (A), all health insurance issuers treated
as a single employer under subsection (a) or (b) of
section 52, or subsection (m) or (o) of section 414,
shall be treated as a single health insurance
issuer.''.
(b) Effective Date.--The amendments made by this section shall
apply to months beginning after the date of the enactment of this Act.
SEC. 3. HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN CONGRESSIONAL STAFF AND
MEMBERS OF THE EXECUTIVE BRANCH.
Section 1312(d)(3)(D) of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care
Act (42 U.S.C. 18032(d)(3)(D)) is amended--
(1) by striking the subparagraph heading and inserting the
following:
``(D) Members of congress, congressional staff, and
political appointees in the exchange.--'';
(2) in clause (i), in the matter preceding subclause (I)--
(A) by striking ``and congressional staff with''
and inserting ``, congressional staff, the President,
the Vice President, and political appointees with'';
and
(B) by striking ``or congressional staff shall''
and inserting ``, congressional staff, the President,
the Vice President, or a political appointee shall'';
(3) in clause (ii)--
(A) in subclause (II), by inserting after
``Congress,'' the following: ``of a committee of
Congress, or of a leadership office of Congress,''; and
(B) by adding at the end the following:
``(III) Political appointee.--The
term `political appointee' means any
individual who--
``(aa) is employed in a
position described under
sections 5312 through 5316 of
title 5, United States Code
(relating to the Executive
Schedule);
``(bb) is a limited term
appointee, limited emergency
appointee, or noncareer
appointee in the Senior
Executive Service, as defined
under paragraphs (5), (6), and
(7), respectively, of section
3132(a) of title 5, United
States Code; or
``(cc) is employed in a
position in the executive
branch of the Government of a
confidential or policy-
determining character under
schedule C of subpart C of part
213 of title 5 of the Code of
Federal Regulations.''; and
(4) by adding at the end the following:
``(iii) Government contribution.--No
Government contribution under section 8906 of
title 5, United States Code, shall be provided
on behalf of an individual who is a Member of
Congress, a congressional staff member, the
President, the Vice President, or a political
appointee for coverage under this paragraph.
``(iv) Limitation on amount of tax credit
or cost sharing.--An individual enrolling in
health insurance coverage pursuant to this
paragraph shall not be eligible to receive a
tax credit under section 36B of the Internal
Revenue Code of 1986 or reduced cost sharing
under section 1402 of this Act in an amount
that exceeds the total amount for which a
similarly situated individual (who is not so
enrolled) would be entitled to receive under
such sections.
``(v) Limitation on discretion for
designation of staff.--Notwithstanding any
other provision of law, a Member of Congress
shall not have discretion in determinations
with respect to which employees employed by the
office of such Member are eligible to enroll
for coverage through an Exchange.
``(vi) Clarification.--The terms `small
employer' (as defined under section 1304(b)(2))
and `qualified employers' (as defined under
subsection (f)) do not include the Congress,
with respect to enrollments in an Exchange and
a SHOP Exchange.''.
<all>