I 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION H. R. 5491 

To provide loans and grants to qualified agricultural associations to assist 

in the establishment of agricultural association health plans. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

APRIL 12, 2018 

Mr. FORTENBERRY introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 

Committee on Agriculture 

A BILL 

To provide loans and grants to qualified agricultural associations to assist in the establishment of agricultural association health plans. 

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 ‘‘Rural Health Insur5 ance Act of 2018’’. 

6 SEC. 2. SUPPORTING AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION 

7 HEALTH PLANS. 

8 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Agriculture may 

9 establish a loan program and a grant program to assist 

10 in the establishment of agricultural association health 


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1 plans, in order to help bring new health options and lower 

2 priced health care coverage to rural Americans. 

3 (b) LOANS.— 

4 (1) IN GENERAL.—With respect to plan years 

5 2019 through 2022, the Secretary of Agriculture, in 

6 consultation with the Secretary of Labor, may make 

7 not more than 10 loans under this section, for pur8 poses of establishing agricultural association health 

9 plans, to qualified agricultural associations that have 

10 not received a loan under this section. 

11 (2) USE OF FUNDS.—The proceeds of a loan 

12 made under this section may only be used to finance 

13 costs associated with establishing and carrying out 

14 an agricultural association health plan. 

15 (3) LOAN TERMS.—A loan made under this sec16 tion shall— 

17 (A) bear interest at an annual rate equiva18 lent to the cost of borrowing to the Department 

19 of the Treasury for obligations of comparable 

20 maturities; 

21 (B) have a term of such length, not ex22 ceeding 20 years, as the borrower may request; 

23 (C) be in an amount not to exceed 

24 $15,000,000; 


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1 (D) require that the borrower submit an2 nual audited financial statements to the Sec3 retary; and 

4 (E) include any other requirements or doc5 umentation the Secretary deems necessary to 

6 carry out this section. 

7 (c) GRANTS.—The Secretary may make grants to ag8 ricultural trade associations or industry associations which 

9 have been in existence for at least three years prior to 

10 applying for such a grant to provide for technical assist11 ance in establishing an agricultural association health 

12 plan. 

13 (d) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—There are authorized to be 

15 appropriated to carry out this section $65,000,000 

16 for the period of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, to 

17 be available until expended. 

18 (2) RESERVATION OF FUNDS.—Of the funds 

19 made available under paragraph (1), not more than 

20 15 percent of such funds shall be made available to 

21 make grants under subsection (c). 

22 (e) DEFINITIONS.—In this section: 

23 (1) AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION HEALTH

24 PLAN.—The term ‘‘agricultural association health 

25 plan’’ means a group health plan within the meaning 


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1 of section 733(a)(1) of the Employee Retirement In2 come Security Act of 1974 (42 U.S.C. 1191b)— 

3 (A) that is sponsored by a qualified agri4 cultural association; and 

5 (B) with respect to which the Secretary 

6 has received a letter from the relevant State in7 surance commissioner certifying that such asso8 ciation may offer such plan in such State. 

9 (2) QUALIFIED AGRICULTURAL ASSOCIATION.— 

10 The term ‘‘qualified agricultural association’’ means 

11 an association— 

12 (A) composed of members that operate a 

13 farm or ranch or operate an agribusiness; 

14 (B) that qualifies as an association health 

15 plan within the meaning of guidance or regula16 tion issued by the Department of Labor; 

17 (C) that acts directly or indirectly in the 

18 interest of its members in relation to the plan; 

19 (D) that is able to demonstrate an ability 

20 to implement and manage a group health plan; 

21 and 

22 (E) that meets any other criteria the Sec23 retary deems necessary to meet the intent of 

24 this section. 

Æ 


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