Skip to main content
S 609 105th Congress Senate Health Breast cancer Commerce Consumer education Employee health benefits Federal preemption Finance and Financial Sector Government Operations and Politics Health insurance Health insurance industry Hospital care Labor and Employment Mastectomy Prosthesis Standards State laws Surgery Women Women's health

Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act of 1997

Introduced: April 17, 1997 See on congress.gov
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
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 3 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Apr 17, 1997
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.
Apr 17, 1997
Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S3354)
Apr 17, 1997
Introduced in Senate
 Ask about this bill AI · grounded in the bill text

Have a question about what this bill does? Ask in plain English; the answer is drawn from the bill's actual text and official record, and it'll tell you when something isn't in the text rather than guess.

AI answers can be imperfect; always confirm against the full bill text.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act of 1997 - Amends the Public Health Service Act and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to require group health plans and insurers offering group health coverage, if they cover a mastectomy, to also cover reconstructive breast surgery resulting from the mastectomy, including surgery on a nondiseased breast to establish symmetry and coverage of prostheses and complications of mastectomy. Prohibits related: (1) denial of coverage or monetary incentives to women; and (2) penalties or incentives to providers.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to apply the above requirements to individual health insurance coverage.

What's happening now April 17, 1997

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Labor and Human Resources.

 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Democratic 2
D
Durbin, Richard J.
Illinois · May 7, 1997
 D
Murray, Patty
Washington · Apr 17, 1997
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 609: Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act of 1997. 105th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-609/
MLA
"S. 609: Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act of 1997." 105th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-609/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 609, 105th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-609/.
Markdown link
[S. 609: Reconstructive Breast Surgery Benefits Act of 1997](https://openamerica.io/bill/105-S-609/)
Report a problem