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H.R. 5447: Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016

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H.R. 5447: Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016

114th Congress · introduced 2016-06-10 · Taxation · Latest: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2016-06-10 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Boustany, Charles W., Jr. [R-LA-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
  4. Where it stands now: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
  5. 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

Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016

Plain summary

Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code, the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA), and other laws to exempt qualified small employer health reimbursement arrangements (HRAs) from certain requirements that apply to group health plans. A qualified small employer HRA is offered by employers that have fewer than 50 full-time employees and do not offer group health plans to any of their employees. A qualified small employer HRA must: be provided on the same terms to all eligible employees of the employer; be funded solely by the employer without salary reduction contributions; provide, after an employee provides proof of coverage, for the payment or reimbursement of medical expenses of the employee and family members; and limit annual payments and reimbursements to specified dollar amounts. HRAs that meet these requirements are not considered group health plans and are exempt from various requirements that apply to group health plans, including coverage and cost-sharing requirements. (Under current law, employers that sponsor group health plans that do not meet specified requirements are subject to an excise tax.) Coverage and payments under a qualified HRA are excluded from gross income, unless the employee does not have minimum essential coverage for the month in which the medical care was provided. Employers offering a qualified HRA must notify employees in advance regarding permitted benefits and report benefit information on W-2 forms and to health exchanges. The bill sets forth requirements for determining whether an employee covered under an HRA is also eligible for premium subsidies under PPACA.

Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended), 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

Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

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The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

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Alternatives

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Boustany, Charles W., Jr. [R-LA-3] · 59 cosponsors

Cost estimate: CBO cost estimate: H.R. 5447, Small Business Health Care Relief Act of 2016 (2016-06-21)

Cosponsors on this site

Mike Thompson (D-CA), Mike Kelly (R-PA), Vern Buchanan (R-FL), Linda T. Sánchez (D-CA), John B. Larson (D-CT), Norma J. Torres (D-CA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Richard Hudson (R-NC), Kevin Cramer (R-ND), Michael R. Turner (R-OH), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Jason Smith (R-MO), Tammy Duckworth (D-IL), Joe Courtney (D-CT)

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 (2)
Bill
A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Exemption
A rule that removes certain people, property or activities from a tax or requirement.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong114-hr5447 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114