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HR 135 105th Congress House

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and g… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: To amend the Public Health Service Act and Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require that group and individual health insurance coverage and group health plans provide coverage for a minimum hospital stay for mastectomies and lymph node dissections performed for the treatment of breast cancer.

Introduced: January 21, 1997 Introduced by: DeLauro, Rosa L. Democratic · Connecticut See on congress.gov
Health Breast cancerCommerceConsumer educationEmployee health benefits
More subjectsShow fewer subjects
Federal preemptionGovernment Operations and PoliticsHealth insuranceHealth insurance industryHospital careLabor and EmploymentStandardsState lawsSurgeryWomenWomen's health
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This bill died when the 105th Congress ended
It never became law before the 105th Congress (1997–1998) adjourned, and bills don't carry over to the next Congress. It would have to be reintroduced. You can still save it for reference, but it won't receive updates.
 Everywhere this bill has been 7 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 31, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.
Jan 22, 1997
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health and Environment.
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to House Education and the Workforce
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to the Committee on Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Education and the Workforce, 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.
Jan 7, 1997
Referred to House Commerce
Jan 7, 1997
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR E43-44)
Jan 7, 1997
Introduced in House
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 Latest action January 31, 1997

Referred to the Subcommittee on Employer-Employee Relations.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit group health plans and health insurance issuers offering group health insurance coverage, with regard to hospital stays in connection with breast cancer treatment, from: (1) covering less than 48 hours after mastectomies or less than 24 hours after lymph node dissections; or (2) requiring plan or issuer authorization for prescribing any length of stay. Prohibits: (1) denying eligibility, enrollment, or renewal to avoid these requirements; (2) providing payments or rebates to women; or (3) penalizing or providing incentives to providers. Applies the same requirements to issuers in the individual market.

 Related & companion bills 1
  • S 143 Identical bill Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 4
 Cosponsors 23
All 23 Democratic 22 Independent 1
D
Meeks, Gregory W.
New York · Mar 26, 1998
 D
Smith, Adam
Washington · Nov 13, 1997
 D
DeGette, Diana
Colorado · Oct 1, 1997
 D
Thompson, Bennie G.
Mississippi · Sep 25, 1997
 D
Davis, Danny K.
Illinois · Sep 9, 1997
 D
Clyburn, James E.
South Carolina · May 20, 1997
 D
Bishop, Sanford D.
Georgia · Apr 30, 1997
 D
Hoyer, Steny H.
Maryland · Apr 30, 1997
 D
Sherman, Brad
California · Apr 30, 1997
 D
Schumer, Charles E.
New York · Feb 4, 1997
 D
Waters, Maxine
California · Feb 4, 1997
 D
Kaptur, Marcy
Ohio · Jan 21, 1997
 D
Lofgren, Zoe
California · Jan 21, 1997
 D
Markey, Edward J.
Massachusetts · Jan 21, 1997
 D
McGovern, James P.
Massachusetts · Jan 21, 1997
 D
Neal, Richard E.
Massachusetts · Jan 21, 1997
 D
Scott, Robert C. "Bobby"
Virginia · Jan 9, 1997
 D
Nadler, Jerrold
New York · Jan 7, 1997
 D
Norton, Eleanor Holmes
District of Columbia · Jan 7, 1997
 D
Pallone, Frank
New Jersey · Jan 7, 1997
 D
Pelosi, Nancy
California · Jan 7, 1997
 I
Sanders, Bernard
Vermont · Jan 7, 1997
 D
Velázquez, Nydia M.
New York · Jan 7, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). H.R. 135: Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-135/
MLA
"H.R. 135: Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-135/.
Bluebook (legal)
H.R. 135, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-135/.
Markdown link
[H.R. 135: Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act of 1997](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-HR-135/)
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