S. 969: Women's Health Insurance Fairness Act of 2009

111th Congress · introduced 2009-05-05 · Health · Latest: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2009-05-05 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Women's Health Insurance Fairness Act of 2009

Plain summary

Women's Health Insurance Fairness Act of 2009 - Amends the Public Health Service Act to prohibit health insurance issuers offering individual health insurance coverage from: (1) considering the gender of an enrollee when determining premium; (2) imposing any preexisting condition exclusion relating to pregnancy; or (3) otherwise discriminating against women on the basis of a current or past pregnancy, past or future method of delivery, and past pregnancy outcome. Requires the Secretary of Health and Human Services (HHS) to: (1) develop a minimum benefit standard for the provision of comprehensive maternity coverage under an individual health plan, which shall require coverage for the full scope of maternity services from preconception through postpartum; and (2) require health insurance issuers to provide data to the Secretary to monitor compliance. Directs the Comptroller General to report to the appropriate congressional committees on health insurance coverage offered on the individual insurance market and on problems remaining for women after the enactment of this Act.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

If it is not passed, current law stays as it is.

PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Women's Health Insurance Fairness Act of 2009

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Kerry, John F. [D-MA] · 1 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (1)

Appropriation: Money a legislature sets aside by law for a specific purpose. Government agencies may spend public money only as it has been appropriated.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-111s969.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/111/s>

Record fed-us-cong111-s969 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong111 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong111