HR 1322 111th Congress House Health Administrative remedies Aging Civil actions and liability Department of Labor Employee benefits and pensions Executive agency funding and structure Government lending and loan guarantees Health care costs and insurance Health care coverage and access

Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2009

Introduced: March 5, 2009 See on congress.gov

Everywhere this bill has been 3 steps

Introduced

In committee

Reported out

Passed House

Passed Senate

To President

Became law

Apr 29, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Mar 5, 2009

Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

Mar 5, 2009

Introduced in House

Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Emergency Retiree Health Benefits Protection Act of 2009 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to add a program for emergency retiree health benefit protections.

Prohibits group health plans from reducing retiree health benefits after the retirement of a plan beneficiary. Requires such plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement reductions in retiree health benefits.

Requires group health plan sponsors to grant retired plan participants the option of benefit restoration. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive or vary requirements for benefit restoration if compliance with such requirements would: (1) be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate; (2) not be administratively feasible; and (3) cause substantial business hardship to plan sponsors.

Establishes the Emergency Retiree Health Loan Guarantee Program. Authorizes the Program to guarantee loans provided by private financial institutions to assist plan sponsors in meeting benefit restoration obligations under this Act. Terminates loan guarantee authority after 2015.

Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act.

What's happening now April 29, 2009

Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Committees of jurisdiction 2