PSI Sci
New here? Follow the money and the votes · Not sure of your district? Find your U.S. House member · Find your state legislators

H.R. 1101: Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017

Before you vote › Federal bills

H.R. 1101: Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017

115th Congress · introduced 2017-02-16 · Health · Latest: Received in the Senate and Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

  1. Where it came from: introduced 2017-02-16 · official record
  2. Who proposed it: Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3] · what a sponsor is
  3. What happened next: 2 recorded votes in our records. Latest: House roll call 185 (2017): On Motion to Recommit with Instructions, HR1101 (2017-03-22), Failed. See all
  4. Where it stands now: Received in the Senate and 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.
  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 Fairness Act of 2017

Plain summary

Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2017 (Sec. 2) This bill amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for the establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans sponsored by business associations. The bill establishes requirements for AHPs relating to certification, sponsors and boards of trustees, participation and coverage, nondiscrimination, contribution rates, and voluntary termination. AHPs offering benefits that are not health insurance must: (1) establish and maintain sufficient reserves and stop-loss insurance to cover those benefits, and (2) make annual payments to a fund to be used to pay for stop-loss insurance for such AHPs for which there is a reasonable expectation that claims would not be satisfied without such insurance. AHPs that fail to meet these requirements are subject to termination. The Department of Labor must establish a Solvency Standards Working Group. States may tax contributions to AHPs, with certain conditions. The bill preempts state laws that preclude health insurers from: (1) offering health insurance in connection with a certified AHP; or (2) offering health insurance of the same policy type to other employers in the state that are eligible for coverage under AHPs. (Sec. 4) The bill establishes criminal penalties for willfully making false representations regarding an AHP.

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 Fairness Act of 2017

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Passed House amended)

AI explanation – may be wrong, check the official text

No AI explanation yet. It takes up to a minute to write and is then saved for everyone.

Limited to a few requests an hour per person.

The strongest published arguments

Arguments for (supporters)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Arguments against (opponents)

Needs sources: no published arguments on this side yet. We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

Alternatives

Needs sources: no published alternatives yet (for example a different bill, a law instead of an amendment, or keeping current law). We only show items backed by a published source. Suggest one.

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

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Johnson, Sam [R-TX-3] · 37 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Tim Walberg (R-MI), Elise M. Stefanik (R-NY), Bill Huizenga (R-MI), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Brett Guthrie (R-KY), Pete Sessions (R-TX), Mike Bost (R-IL), Joe Wilson (R-SC), Randy K. Weber, Sr. (R-TX), David Rouzer (R-NC), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Aumua Amata Coleman Radewagen (R-AS), Jason Smith (R-MO), Michael T. McCaul (R-TX), Gus M. Bilirakis (R-FL), Lloyd Smucker (R-PA), Kevin Cramer (R-ND)

Recorded votes

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).
Securities
Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.
Sponsor and cosponsor
The sponsor is the member who introduces a bill and leads it. Cosponsors are other members who sign on to show support.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Record fed-us-cong115-hr1101 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong115 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong115