I 
112TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 1184 
To require greater transparency concerning the criteria used to grant waivers 
to the job-killing health care law and to ensure that applications for 
such waivers are treated in a fair and consistent manner, irrespective 
of the applicant’s political contributions or association with a labor union, 
a health plan provided for under a collective bargaining agreement, 
or another organized labor group. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MARCH 17, 2011 
Mr. ISSA (for himself and Mr. WALSH of Illinois) introduced the following bill; 
which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To require greater transparency concerning the criteria used 
to grant waivers to the job-killing health care law and 
to ensure that applications for such waivers are treated 
in a fair and consistent manner, irrespective of the appli-
cant’s political contributions or association with a labor 
union, a health plan provided for under a collective bar-
gaining agreement, or another organized labor group. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
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SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Health Care Waiver 
Transparency Act’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIREMENTS WITH RESPECT TO GRANTING 
WAIVERS. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—The Secretary of Health and 
Human Services (referred to in this section as the ‘‘Sec-
retary’’) shall— 
(1) publish detailed criteria used by the Sec-
retary to determine approval of an application sub-
mitted by a group health plan, health insurance 
issuer, employer, State, municipality, or other entity 
eligible for a waiver, adjustment, or other compli-
ance relief provided for under the authority of the 
Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (Public 
Law 111–148) or title I or subtitle B of title II of 
the Health Care and Education Reconciliation Act 
(Public Law 111–152), including— 
(A) how much of a significant decrease in 
benefits with respect to a health insurance plan 
or health insurance coverage would need to 
occur in order to have such a waiver application 
approved by the Secretary; and 
(B) how much of a significant increase in 
premiums with respect to a health insurance 
plan or health insurance coverage would need to 
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occur to have such a waiver application ap-
proved by the Secretary; 
(2) publish on the Internet Web site of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services each appli-
cation for a waiver described in paragraph (1); and 
(3) publish on the Internet Web site of the De-
partment of Health and Human Services the deter-
mination of the Secretary whether to approve or re-
ject such application and the reason for such ap-
proval or rejection. 
(b) PROTECTION OF PROPRIETARY INFORMATION.— 
In carrying out subsection (a), the Secretary shall ensure 
the confidentiality of proprietary information of each ap-
plicant. 
(c) PROHIBITION OF PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT.— 
In no case, during any stage of the application process 
for an application described in subsection (a)(1), shall 
preferential treatment be given to an applicant based on 
political contributions or association with a labor union, 
a health plan provided for under a collective bargaining 
agreement, or another organized labor group. 
Æ 
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