I 
111TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 2831 
To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 and the 
Public Health Service Act to require the option of extension of dependent 
coverage for unmarried, uninsured children under 30 years of age under 
group health plans and under group and individual health insurance 
coverage. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
JUNE 11, 2009 
Mrs. DAHLKEMPER (for herself, Mr. LANCE, Mr. BRADY of Pennsylvania, Mr. 
CONNOLLY of Virginia, Mr. DENT, Mr. SCOTT of Virginia, Mr. HIMES, 
and Mr. SIRES) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the 
Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee 
on Education and Labor, for a period to be subsequently determined by 
the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall with-
in the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act 
of 1974 and the Public Health Service Act to require 
the option of extension of dependent coverage for unmar-
ried, uninsured children under 30 years of age under 
group health plans and under group and individual 
health insurance coverage. 
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 ‘‘Young Adult 
Healthcare Coverage Act of 2009’’. 
SEC. 2. REQUIRING THE OPTION OF EXTENSION OF DE-
PENDENT COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN UNMAR-
RIED, UNINSURED YOUNG ADULTS. 
(a) UNDER GROUP HEALTH PLANS.— 
(1) EMPLOYEE RETIREMENT INCOME SECURITY 
ACT OF 1974 AMENDMENTS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The Employee Retire-
ment Income Security Act of 1974 is amended 
by inserting after section 703 the following new 
section: 
‘‘SEC. 704. REQUIRING THE OPTION OF EXTENSION OF DE-
PENDENT COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN UNMAR-
RIED, UNINSURED YOUNG ADULTS. 
‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—A group health plan and a health 
insurance issuer offering health insurance coverage in con-
nection with a group health plan that provides coverage 
for dependent children shall make available such coverage, 
at the option of the participant involved, for one or more 
qualified children (as defined in subsection (b)) of the par-
ticipant. 
‘‘(b) QUALIFIED CHILD DEFINED.—In this section, 
the term ‘qualified child’ means, with respect to a partici-
pant in a group health plan or group health insurance cov-
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erage, an individual who (but for age) would be treated 
as a dependent child of the participant under such plan 
or coverage and who— 
‘‘(1) is under 30 years of age; 
‘‘(2) is not married; 
‘‘(3) has no dependents; 
‘‘(4) is a citizen or national of the United 
States; and 
‘‘(5) is not provided coverage as a participant, 
beneficiary, or enrollee (other than under this sec-
tion) under any other creditable coverage (as defined 
in section 701(c)(1)). 
‘‘(c) PREMIUMS.—Nothing in this section shall be 
construed as preventing a group health plan or health in-
surance issuer with respect to group health insurance cov-
erage from increasing the premiums otherwise required for 
coverage provided under this section.’’. 
(B) CLERICAL AMENDMENT.—The table of 
contents of such Act is amended by inserting 
after the item relating to section 703 the fol-
lowing new item: 
‘‘704. Requiring the option of extension of dependent coverage for certain un-
married young adults.’’. 
(2) PHSA.—Title XXVII of the Public Health 
Service Act is amended by inserting after section 
2702 the following new section: 
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‘‘SEC. 2703. REQUIRING THE OPTION OF EXTENSION OF DE-
PENDENT COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN UNMAR-
RIED, UNINSURED YOUNG ADULTS. 
‘‘The provisions of section 704 of the Employee Re-
tirement Income Security Act of 1974 shall apply to health 
insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer 
in the individual market in the same manner as they apply 
to health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance 
issuer in connection with a group health plan in the small 
or large group market.’’. 
(b) INDIVIDUAL HEALTH INSURANCE COVERAGE.— 
Title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act is amended 
by inserting after section 2745 the following new section: 
‘‘SEC. 2746. REQUIRING THE OPTION OF EXTENSION OF DE-
PENDENT COVERAGE FOR CERTAIN UNMAR-
RIED YOUNG ADULTS. 
‘‘The provisions of section 2703 shall apply to health 
insurance coverage offered by a health insurance issuer 
in the individual market in the same manner as they apply 
to health insurance coverage offered by a health insurance 
issuer in connection with a group health plan in the small 
or large group market.’’. 
(c) EFFECTIVE DATES.— 
(1) GROUP HEALTH PLANS.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—The amendments made 
by subsection (a) shall apply to group health 
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plans for plan years beginning on or after the 
date that is 90 days after the date of enactment 
of this Act. 
(B) SPECIAL RULE FOR COLLECTIVE BAR-
GAINING AGREEMENTS.—In the case of a group 
health plan maintained pursuant to 1 or more 
collective bargaining agreements between em-
ployee representatives and 1 or more employers, 
any plan amendment made pursuant to a collec-
tive bargaining agreement relating to the plan 
which amends the plan solely to conform to any 
requirement added by an amendment made by 
subsection (a) shall not be treated as a termi-
nation of such collective bargaining agreement. 
(2) INDIVIDUAL
HEALTH
INSURANCE
COV-
ERAGE.—Section 2746 of the Public Health Service 
Act, as inserted by subsection (b), shall apply with 
respect to health insurance coverage offered, sold, 
issued, renewed, in effect, or operated in the indi-
vidual market after the first day of the first month 
that begins more than 90 days after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. 
Æ 
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