I 
118TH CONGRESS 
2D SESSION 
H. R. 8465 
To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to increase health 
insurance access for individuals placing their newborns for adoption. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
MAY 17, 2024 
Ms. VAN DUYNE introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce 
A BILL 
To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act 
to increase health insurance access for individuals placing 
their newborns for adoption. 
Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa-
tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 
SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 
This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Caring for Mothers 
Act of 2024’’. 
SEC. 2. INCREASING HEALTH INSURANCE ACCESS FOR IN-
DIVIDUALS PLACING THEIR NEWBORNS FOR 
ADOPTION. 
(a) IN GENERAL.—Subpart II of part A of title 
XXVII of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 
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300gg–11 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the 
following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 2730. AVAILABILITY OF COVERAGE FOR INDIVIDUALS 
PLACING THEIR NEWBORNS FOR ADOPTION. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—In the case of an individual en-
rolled in a group health plan or group or individual health 
insurance coverage who intends to adopt (or has already 
adopted) a child of a qualifying individual and who sub-
mits to such plan or coverage (as applicable) a request 
described in subsection (b) with respect to such qualifying 
individual, such plan or coverage shall enroll such quali-
fying individual under such plan or coverage and provide 
benefits under such plan or coverage in accordance with 
subsection (c). 
‘‘(b) REQUEST.—For purposes of subsection (a), a 
request described in this subsection is a request submitted 
to a group health plan or group or individual health insur-
ance coverage by an individual who is enrolled in such plan 
or coverage who intends to adopt (or has already adopted) 
a biological child of a qualifying individual that— 
‘‘(1) requests that such qualifying individual re-
ceive benefits under such plan or coverage in accord-
ance with subsection (c); 
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‘‘(2) contains an attestation that such indi-
vidual intends to adopt (or already has adopted) 
such child; 
‘‘(3) in the case such child has not been so 
adopted at the time of the submission of such re-
quest, contains an attestation from such qualifying 
individual that such qualifying individual intends to 
have such individual adopt such child; and 
‘‘(4) is signed by such individual and such 
qualifying individual. 
‘‘(c) COVERAGE.— 
‘‘(1) SCOPE.—Notwithstanding any other provi-
sions of law, benefits provided under a group health 
plan or group or individual health insurance cov-
erage to a qualifying individual enrolled pursuant to 
a request described in subsection (b) shall consist 
only of— 
‘‘(A) pregnancy-related and postpartum 
care; and 
‘‘(B) mental health and substance use dis-
order services. 
‘‘(2) COVERAGE
PERIOD.—Coverage provided 
under a group health plan or group or individual 
health insurance coverage to a qualifying individual 
pursuant to a request described in subsection (b) 
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shall begin on the first day of the first month begin-
ning after the date such plan or coverage receives 
such request and shall end on the earliest of the fol-
lowing: 
‘‘(A) The date the individual who sub-
mitted such request notifies such plan or cov-
erage of such individual’s intent to terminate 
such coverage. 
‘‘(B) The date on which coverage of such 
individual under such plan or group or indi-
vidual health insurance coverage is terminated. 
‘‘(C) The date such qualifying individual 
notifies such plan or coverage of such qualifying 
individual’s intent to terminate such coverage. 
‘‘(D) The date that is 1 year after the date 
of the birth of the child that is the subject of 
the adoption described in subsection (a). 
‘‘(d) CLARIFICATION ON SCOPE OF REQUIREMENT.— 
The requirement on a group health plan or group or indi-
vidual health insurance coverage under subsection (a) to 
provide benefits to a qualifying individual pursuant to a 
request described in subsection (b) shall apply only with 
respect to benefits described in subsection (c)(1) furnished 
with respect to the pregnancy that is the subject of the 
adoption described in subsection (b). 
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‘‘(e) QUALIFYING INDIVIDUAL DEFINED.—In this 
section, the term ‘qualifying individual’ means an indi-
vidual who— 
‘‘(1) is pregnant or who has given birth in the 
last 6 months; and 
‘‘(2) is a citizen or national of the United 
States or an alien lawfully present in the United 
States. 
‘‘(f) RULE OF CONSTRUCTION.—Nothing in this sec-
tion may be construed to— 
‘‘(1) require a qualifying individual who enrolls 
in a group health plan or group or individual health 
insurance coverage pursuant to this section, or an 
individual who requests enrollment of such quali-
fying individual in such plan or coverage, to effec-
tuate any adoption; or 
‘‘(2) allow for the imposition of any penalty on 
such a qualifying individual or individual requesting 
such enrollment if such an adoption is not effec-
tuated.’’. 
(b) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall apply with respect to plan years begin-
ning on or after January 1, 2025. 
Æ 
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