Skip to main content
S. 896 117th Congress Senate

Association Health Plans Act of 2021

Official title: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish additional criteria for determining when employers may join together in a grou… Show full official titleShow less

Official title: A bill to amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to establish additional criteria for determining when employers may join together in a group or association of employers that will be treated as an employer under section 3(5) of such Act for purposes of sponsoring a group health plan, and for other purposes.

Introduced: March 23, 2021 Introduced by: John Kennedy Republican · Louisiana See on congress.gov
Health Employee benefits and pensionsHealth care costs and insuranceHealth care coverage and accessSelf-employedSmall business
Sign in to write a letter Sign in to watch
This bill died when the 117th Congress ended
It never became law before the 117th Congress (2021–2022) 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
Mar 23, 2021
Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.
Mar 23, 2021
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.

 Latest action March 23, 2021

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

 Plain-English summary Congressional Research Service

Association Health Plans Act of 2021

This bill provides statutory authority for certain short-term, limited-duration health insurance plans and association health plans.

The bill permits short-term, limited-duration plans to provide coverage for a period of less than 12 months, not including extensions. Under current law, such plans are exempt from certain market requirements of the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, such as coverage of individuals with preexisting conditions.

The bill further permits groups or associations of employers to sponsor fully insured group health plans as if they were employers. Such plans may not discriminate based on the health factors of any prospective plan participant for the purpose of granting an employer's membership in the association or determining a participant's eligibility for benefits or premium amounts.

 Related & companion bills 3
 Bill text 1 version

Source documents hosted by congress.gov.

 Committees of jurisdiction 1
 Cosponsors 2
All 2 Republican 2
R
Scott, Rick
Florida · Apr 21, 2021
 R
Hyde-Smith, Cindy
Mississippi · Apr 14, 2021
Cite this page click to expand
APA
U.S. Congress. (2026). S. 896: Association Health Plans Act of 2021. 117th Congress. Open America. https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-896/
MLA
"S. 896: Association Health Plans Act of 2021." 117th Congress, 2026, Open America, https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-896/.
Bluebook (legal)
S. 896, 117th Cong. (2026), https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-896/.
Markdown link
[S. 896: Association Health Plans Act of 2021](https://openamerica.io/bill/117-S-896/)
Report a problem