Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits Protection Act of 2011

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Never voted on. It didn't reach a floor vote before the 112th Congress ended, so it expired. A bill has to be introduced again to be considered in a new Congress.

D TierneySponsor

34 cosponsors · 33 D, 1 R

3 signed on when it was introduced; the rest joined later. Cosponsors who withdrew aren't shown.

Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits Protection Act of 2011 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to establish an enforceable obligation on sponsors of group health plans to restore health benefits previously taken away from plan participants to the extent such benefits were cancelled or altered after their retirement.

What it does: CRS summary · Introduced in House · Apr 1, 2011

Prohibits group health plans from reducing retiree health benefits after the retirement of a plan beneficiary. Requires such plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement reductions in retiree health benefits.

Requires group health plan sponsors to grant benefit restoration to retired plan participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive or vary requirements for benefit restoration if compliance with such requirements would: (1) be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate, (2) not be administratively feasible, and (3) cause substantial business hardship to plan sponsors.

Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act.

Written by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. All summary versions on Congress.gov

About this bill and sources

Official title: Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits Protection Act of 2011

Latest action (Apr 15, 2011): Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.

Policy area: Health · Origin: House · Introduced: Apr 1, 2011

Official page on Congress.gov · Bill text (GovInfo) · Status record (XML)

No recorded floor vote found.