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S 254 114th Congress Senate

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

Official title: A bill to lower health premiums and increase choice for small businesses.

Introduced: January 26, 2015 See on congress.gov
Health Comprehensive health careEmployee benefits and pensionsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and access
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Income tax deductionsSales and excise taxesSmall businessWages and earnings
This bill died when the 114th Congress ended
It never became law before the 114th Congress (2015–2016) 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 2 steps
Introduced
In committee
Reported out
Passed House
Passed Senate
To President
Became law
Jan 26, 2015
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
Jan 26, 2015
Introduced in Senate
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 Latest action January 26, 2015

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015

Repeals provisions of the Internal Revenue Code that: (1) impose fines on large employers (those with 50 or more full-time employees) who fail to offer their full-time employees the opportunity to enroll in minimum essential health insurance coverage, and (2) require large employers to file a report with the Department of the Treasury on health insurance coverage provided to their full-time employees.

Repeals provisions of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) that: (1) limit the annual deductible on health plans offered in the small group market, (2) deem catastrophic plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements for certain individuals, and (3) impose an annual fee on health insurance entities.

Deems high deductible health plans to meet essential health benefits coverage requirements if the enrollee has established a health savings account.

Amends the Public Health Service Act to repeal the limitation on premium rate variance by age in the individual or small group market.

Repeals the prohibitions on payments for over-the-counter medications from health savings accounts, medical savings accounts, and health flexible spending arrangements.

Repeals the $2,500 annual limit on employee contributions by salary reduction to a health flexible spending arrangement under a cafeteria plan.

Allows a health plan to maintain its status as a grandfathered health plan regardless of any modification to cost-sharing, employer contribution rates, or covered benefits. Makes this allowance effective as if included in PPACA.

 Related & companion bills 2
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
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APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 254: Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015. 114th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-254/
MLA
"S. 254: Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015." 114th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-254/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 254, 114th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-254/.
Markdown link
[S. 254: Small Business Health Relief Act of 2015](https://openamerica.io/bill/114-S-254/)
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