Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1131) 
is amended—
(1) by inserting ‘‘(a)’’ after ‘‘Sec. 501.’’; and 
(2) by adding at the end the following new sub-
section: 
‘‘(b) Any person who willfully falsely represents, to 
any employee, any employee’s beneficiary, any employer, 
the Secretary, or any State, a plan or other arrangement 
established or maintained for the purpose of offering or 
providing any benefit described in section 3(1) to employ-
ees or their beneficiaries as—
‘‘(1) being an association health plan which has 
been certified under part 8; 
‘‘(2) having been established or maintained 
under or pursuant to one or more collective bar-
gaining agreements which are reached pursuant to 
collective bargaining described in section 8(d) of the 
National Labor Relations Act (29 U.S.C. 158(d)) or 
paragraph Fourth of section 2 of the Railway Labor 
Act (45 U.S.C. 152, paragraph Fourth) or which are 
reached pursuant to labor-management negotiations 
under similar provisions of State public employee re-
lations laws; or 
‘‘(3) being a plan or arrangement described in 
section 3(40)(A)(i),
shall, upon conviction, be imprisoned not more than 5 
years, be fined under title 18, United States Code, or 
both.’’. 
(b) CEASE ACTIVITIES ORDERS.—Section 502 of 
such Act (29 U.S.C. 1132) is amended by adding at the 
end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(n) ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLAN CEASE AND DE-
SIST ORDERS.—
‘‘(1) IN GENERAL.—Subject to paragraph (2), 
upon application by the Secretary showing the oper-
ation, promotion, or marketing of an association 
health plan (or similar arrangement providing bene-
fits consisting of medical care (as defined in section 
733(a)(2))) that—
‘‘(A) is not certified under part 8, is sub-
ject under section 514(b)(6) to the insurance 
laws of any State in which the plan or arrange-
ment offers or provides benefits, and is not li-
censed, registered, or otherwise approved under 
the insurance laws of such State; or 
‘‘(B) is an association health plan certified 
under part 8 and is not operating in accordance 
with the requirements under part 8 for such 
certification,
a district court of the United States shall enter an 
order requiring that the plan or arrangement cease 
activities. 
‘‘(2) EXCEPTION.—Paragraph (1) shall not 
apply in the case of an association health plan or 
other arrangement if the plan or arrangement shows 
that—
‘‘(A) all benefits under it referred to in 
paragraph (1) consist of health insurance cov-
erage; and 
‘‘(B) with respect to each State in which 
the plan or arrangement offers or provides ben-
efits, the plan or arrangement is operating in 
accordance with applicable State laws that are 
not superseded under section 514. 
‘‘(3) ADDITIONAL
EQUITABLE
RELIEF.—The 
court may grant such additional equitable relief, in-
cluding any relief available under this title, as it 
deems necessary to protect the interests of the pub-
lic and of persons having claims for benefits against 
the plan.’’. 
(c) RESPONSIBILITY
FOR CLAIMS PROCEDURE.—
Section 503 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1133) is amended by 
inserting ‘‘(a) IN GENERAL.—’’ before ‘‘In accordance’’, 
and by adding at the end the following new subsection:
‘‘(b) ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS.—The terms of 
each association health plan which is or has been certified 
under part 8 shall require the board of trustees or the 
named fiduciary (as applicable) to ensure that the require-
ments of this section are met in connection with claims 
filed under the plan.’’. 
SEC. 5. COOPERATION BETWEEN FEDERAL AND STATE AU-
THORITIES. 
Section 506 of the Employee Retirement Income Se-
curity Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1136) is amended by adding 
at the end the following new subsection: 
‘‘(d) CONSULTATION WITH STATES WITH RESPECT 
TO ASSOCIATION HEALTH PLANS.—
‘‘(1) AGREEMENTS
WITH
STATES.—The Sec-
retary shall consult with the State recognized under 
paragraph (2) with respect to an association health 
plan regarding the exercise of—
‘‘(A) the Secretary’s authority under sec-
tions 502 and 504 to enforce the requirements 
for certification under part 8; and 
‘‘(B) the Secretary’s authority to certify 
association health plans under part 8 in accord-
ance with regulations of the Secretary applica-
ble to certification under part 8.
‘‘(2) RECOGNITION
OF
PRIMARY
DOMICILE 
STATE.—In carrying out paragraph (1), the Sec-
retary shall ensure that only one State will be recog-
nized, with respect to any particular association 
health plan, as the State with which consultation is 
required. In carrying out this paragraph—
‘‘(A) in the case of a plan which provides 
health insurance coverage (as defined in section 
812(a)(3)), such State shall be the State with 
which filing and approval of a policy type of-
fered by the plan was initially obtained, and 
‘‘(B) in any other case, the Secretary shall 
take into account the places of residence of the 
participants and beneficiaries under the plan 
and the State in which the trust is main-
tained.’’. 
SEC. 6. EFFECTIVE DATE AND TRANSITIONAL AND OTHER 
RULES. 
(a) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments made by 
this Act shall take effect one year after the date of the 
enactment of this Act. The Secretary of Labor shall first 
issue all regulations necessary to carry out the amend-
ments made by this Act within one year after the date 
of the enactment of this Act.
(b) TREATMENT
OF CERTAIN EXISTING HEALTH 
BENEFITS PROGRAMS.—
(1) IN GENERAL.—In any case in which, as of 
the date of the enactment of this Act, an arrange-
ment is maintained in a State for the purpose of 
providing benefits consisting of medical care for the 
employees and beneficiaries of its participating em-
ployers, at least 200 participating employers make 
contributions to such arrangement, such arrange-
ment has been in existence for at least 10 years, and 
such arrangement is licensed under the laws of one 
or more States to provide such benefits to its par-
ticipating employers, upon the filing with the appli-
cable authority (as defined in section 812(a)(5) of 
the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 
1974 (as amended by this subtitle)) by the arrange-
ment of an application for certification of the ar-
rangement under part 8 of subtitle B of title I of 
such Act—
(A) such arrangement shall be deemed to 
be a group health plan for purposes of title I 
of such Act; 
(B) the requirements of sections 801(a) 
and 803(a) of the Employee Retirement Income
Security Act of 1974 shall be deemed met with 
respect to such arrangement; 
(C) the requirements of section 803(b) of 
such Act shall be deemed met, if the arrange-
ment is operated by a board of directors 
which—
(i) is elected by the participating em-
ployers, with each employer having one 
vote; and 
(ii) has complete fiscal control over 
the arrangement and which is responsible 
for all operations of the arrangement; 
(D) the requirements of section 804(a) of 
such Act shall be deemed met with respect to 
such arrangement; and 
(E) the arrangement may be certified by 
any applicable authority with respect to its op-
erations in any State only if it operates in such 
State on the date of certification. 
The provisions of this subsection shall cease to apply 
with respect to any such arrangement at such time 
after the date of the enactment of this Act as the 
applicable requirements of this subsection are not 
met with respect to such arrangement.
(2) DEFINITIONS.—For purposes of this sub-
section, the terms ‘‘group health plan’’, ‘‘medical 
care’’, and ‘‘participating employer’’ shall have the 
meanings provided in section 812 of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, except 
that the reference in paragraph (7) of such section 
to an ‘‘association health plan’’ shall be deemed a 
reference to an arrangement referred to in this sub-
section.
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