I 

111TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 3887 

To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, the Public 

Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 to improve 

health insurance coverage of dependents. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

OCTOBER 21, 2009 

Mr. BLUNT (for himself, Mr. BARTON of Texas, Mr. CAMP, Mr. KLINE of 

Minnesota, Mr. UPTON, and Mr. WITTMAN) introduced the following bill; 

which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in 

addition to the Committees on Ways and Means and Education and 

Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in 

each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 

A BILL 

To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act 

of 1974, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal 

Revenue Code of 1986 to improve health insurance coverage of dependents. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Insurance Ac5 cess for Young Workers and College Students Act of 

6 2009’’. 


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1 SEC. 2. IMPROVED HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE OF DE2 PENDENTS. 

3 (a) EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY ACT

4 OF 1974.— 

5 (1) IN GENERAL.—Part 7 of subtitle B of title 

6 I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act 

7 of 1974 is amended by inserting after section 714 

8 the following new section: 

9 ‘‘SEC. 715. EXTENDING COVERAGE OF DEPENDENTS. 

10 ‘‘In the case of a group health plan, or health insur11 ance coverage offered in connection with a group health 

12 plan, that treats as a beneficiary under the plan an indi13 vidual who is a dependent child of a participant or bene14 ficiary under the plan, the plan or coverage shall continue 

15 to treat the individual as a dependent child without regard 

16 to the individual’s age through at least the end of the plan 

17 year in which the individual turns an age specified in the 

18 plan, but not less than 25 years of age.’’. 

19 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of con20 tents of such Act is amended by inserting after the 

21 item relating to section 714 the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 715. Extending coverage of dependents.’’. 

22 (b) PHSA.—Title XXVII of the Public Health Serv23 ice Act is amended by inserting after section 2707 the fol24 lowing new section: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 2708. EXTENDING COVERAGE OF DEPENDENTS. 

2 ‘‘In the case of a group health plan, or health insur3 ance coverage offered in connection with a group health 

4 plan, that treats as a beneficiary under the plan an indi5 vidual who is a dependent child of a participant or bene6 ficiary under the plan, the plan or coverage shall continue 

7 to treat the individual as a dependent child without regard 

8 to the individual’s age through at least the end of the plan 

9 year in which the individual turns an age specified in the 

10 plan, but not less than 25 years of age.’’. 

11 (c) IRC.— 

12 (1) IN GENERAL.—Subchapter B of chapter 

13 100 of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amend14 ed by adding at the end the following new section: 

15 ‘‘SEC. 9814. EXTENDING COVERAGE OF DEPENDENTS. 

16 ‘‘In the case of a group health plan that treats as 

17 a beneficiary under the plan an individual who is a de18 pendent child of a participant or beneficiary under the 

19 plan, the plan shall continue to treat the individual as a 

20 dependent child without regard to the individual’s age 

21 through at least the end of the plan year in which the 

22 individual turns an age specified in the plan, but not less 

23 than 25 years of age.’’. 


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1 (2) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of sec2 tions in such subchapter is amended by adding at 

3 the end the following new item: 

‘‘Sec. 9814. Extending coverage of dependents.’’. 

4 (d) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 

5 this section shall apply to group health plans for plan 

6 years beginning more than 3 months after the date of the 

7 enactment of this Act and shall apply to individuals who 

8 are dependent children under a group health plan, or 

9 health insurance coverage offered in connection with such 

10 a plan, on or after such date. 

Æ 


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