S. 1697: Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

114th Congress · introduced 2015-06-25 · Health · Latest: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-675.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2015-06-25 · official record
Who proposed it: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Committee on Small Business and Entrepreneurship. Hearings held. Hearings printed: S.Hrg. 114-675. 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

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

Plain summary

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act This bill amends the Internal Revenue Code and the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to allow an employer with fewer than 50 employees that does not offer group health insurance coverage to establish a health reimbursement arrangement. Under the arrangement, funds contributed by an employer are excluded from the employer's taxable income and are used to pay or reimburse employees for medical care expenses, including premiums for individual health insurance coverage or Medicare supplemental insurance. Such a reimbursement arrangement: (1) must not pay premiums for an employee covered by a family member's coverage, (2) must be offered to all eligible employees on the same terms and may only vary based on the number of individuals covered, and (3) is not required to provide continuation coverage. Employer contributions to a reimbursement arrangement are not included in an employee's gross income if the employee was covered by the reimbursement arrangement for more than nine months of the year. Employees covered for less than nine months have a percentage of employer contributions included in their gross income, with exceptions. An employee offered affordable individual health insurance coverage under a reimbursement arrangement is not eligible for a premium assistance tax credit. Employers must report contributions to a reimbursement arrangement on their employees' W-2. This bill amends the Public Health Service Act to exempt reimbursement arrangements from requirements for health insurance coverage. Insurance offered under a reimbursement arrangement remains subject to the requirements.

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

Small Business Healthcare Relief Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in Senate)

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The strongest published arguments

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] · 14 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Ron Johnson (R-WI), Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), Michael F. Bennet (D-CO), Christopher A. Coons (D-DE), John Hoeven (R-ND)

Sponsor's campaign money: Sen. Grassley, Chuck [R-IA] reported raising $527,998 (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

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 (3)

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.
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

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-114s1697.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/114/s>

Record fed-us-cong114-s1697 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong114 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong114