I 
119TH CONGRESS 
1ST SESSION H. R. 6760 
To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act to facilitate the 
enrollment of individuals in qualified health plans. 
IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 
DECEMBER 16, 2025 
Mr. PAPPAS (for himself, Ms. NORTON, Ms. GOODLANDER, and Ms. JOHNSON 
of Texas) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Com-
mittee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on 
Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the 
Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within 
the jurisdiction of the committee concerned 
A BILL 
To amend the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
to facilitate the enrollment of individuals in qualified 
health plans. 
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 ‘‘Protecting Access to 
Affordable Coverage Act of 2025’’. 
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SEC. 2. FACILITATING THE ENROLLMENT OF INDIVIDUALS 
IN QUALIFIED HEALTH PLANS. 
(a) EXTENDING THE OPEN ENROLLMENT PERIOD 
FOR PLAN YEAR 2026.—Section 1311(c)(6) of the Patient 
Protection 
and 
Affordable 
Care 
Act 
(42 
U.S.C. 
18031(c)(6)) is amended-— 
(1) in subparagraph (B), by inserting ‘‘, subject 
to subparagraph (E),’’ after ‘‘as determined by the 
Secretary’’; 
(2) in subparagraph (C), by striking ‘‘and’’ at 
the end; 
(3) in subparagraph (D), by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(4) by adding at the end the following new sub-
paragraph: 
‘‘(E) an open enrollment period for enroll-
ments for plan year 2026 that begins not later 
than November 1, 2025, and ends not earlier 
than May 1, 2026.’’. 
(b) REPEAL OF CERTAIN VERIFICATION REQUIRE-
MENTS.—The amendments made by section 71303 of an 
Act to provide for reconciliation pursuant to title II of H. 
Con. Res. 14 (Public Law 119–21) are repealed, and any 
provision of law amended by such section is restored or 
revived as if such amendments had never been enacted. 
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(c) ENSURING ENROLLMENT OPPORTUNITIES FOR 
CERTAIN INDIVIDUALS.— 
(1) IN GENERAL.—Section 36B(c)(3)(A) of the 
Internal Revenue Code of 1986 is amended by strik-
ing clause (iii). 
(2) ESTABLISHMENT OF SPECIAL ENROLLMENT 
PERIOD.— 
(A) IN GENERAL.—Section 1311(c)(6) of 
the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act 
(42 U.S.C. 18031(c)(6)), as amended by sub-
section (a), is further amended— 
(i) in subparagraph (D), by striking 
‘‘and’’ at the end; 
(ii) in subparagraph (E), by striking 
the period and inserting ‘‘; and’’; and 
(iii) by adding at the end the fol-
lowing new subparagraph: 
‘‘(F) a special enrollment period once per 
month for an individual who is eligible for the 
advance payment of premium tax credits under 
section 1412 and whose household income is 
not expected to exceed 150 percent of the pov-
erty line for a family of the size involved.’’. 
(B) EFFECTIVE DATE.—The amendments 
made by subparagraph (A) shall apply with re-
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spect to plan years beginning on or after Janu-
ary 1, 2026. 
(d) NAVIGATOR GRANTS.—Section 1311(i) of the Pa-
tient Protection and Affordable Care Act (42 U.S.C. 
18031(i)) is amended— 
(1) in paragraph (2), by adding at the end the 
following new subparagraph: 
‘‘(C) MANDATORY
GRANT.—In awarding 
grants under paragraph (1), the Exchange 
shall, for each plan year (beginning with plan 
year 2026)— 
‘‘(i) award such grants only to entities 
with a physical presence in the State of 
such Exchange; and 
‘‘(ii) award such a grant to at least 1 
entity described in this paragraph.’’; 
(2) in paragraph (4)(A)— 
(A) in the matter preceding clause (i), by 
inserting ‘‘(financial or otherwise)’’ after ‘‘inter-
est’’; 
(B) in clause (i), by striking ‘‘or’’ at the 
end; 
(C) in clause (ii), by striking the period 
and inserting ‘‘; or’’; and 
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(D) by adding at the end the following new 
clause: 
‘‘(iii) for plan year 2026 or a subse-
quent plan year— 
‘‘(I) be an enhanced direct enroll-
ment entity; 
‘‘(II) charge any fees to appli-
cants or enrollees; or 
‘‘(III) request any form of remu-
neration from or on behalf of any ap-
plicant or enrollee.’’; and 
(3) in paragraph (6)— 
(A) 
by 
striking 
‘‘FUNDING.—Grants 
under’’ and inserting ‘‘FUNDING.— 
‘‘(A) STATE EXCHANGES.—Grants under’’; and 
(B) by adding at the end the following new 
subparagraph: 
‘‘(B) FEDERAL EXCHANGES.— 
‘‘(i) IN
GENERAL.—For purposes of 
carrying out this subsection, with respect 
to Exchanges established and operated by 
the Secretary pursuant to section 1321(c), 
the Secretary shall obligate $100,000,000 
out of amounts collected through the user 
fees on participating health insurance 
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issuers pursuant to section 156.50 of title 
45, Code of Federal Regulations (or any 
successor regulations) for fiscal year 2026 
and each subsequent fiscal year. Such 
amount for a fiscal year shall remain avail-
able until expended. 
‘‘(ii) ALLOCATION.— 
‘‘(I) IN
GENERAL.—The Sec-
retary shall, out of amounts obligated 
under clause (i) for a fiscal year, allo-
cate to each Exchange established and 
operated by the Secretary in a State 
pursuant to section 1321(c), for mak-
ing grants under paragraph (1) dur-
ing such fiscal year— 
‘‘(aa) $1,250,000; plus 
‘‘(bb) an amount that bears 
the same ratio to the total re-
maining obligated funds (as de-
fined in subclause (II)) for such 
fiscal year as the number of indi-
viduals enrolled in a qualified 
health plan offered through an 
Exchange established in such 
State, or enrolled under the State 
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plan of such State under title 
XIX (or waiver of such plan), 
during the preceding fiscal year 
bears to the total number of indi-
viduals enrolled in such a plan 
offered through an Exchange es-
tablished in any State that is a 
specified State (as defined in 
subclause (II)) with respect to 
such fiscal year, or enrolled 
under the State plan of any such 
State under title XIX (or waiver 
of such plan), during such pre-
ceding fiscal year. 
‘‘(II) 
DEFINITIONS.—In 
this 
clause: 
‘‘(aa) 
TOTAL
REMAINING 
OBLIGATED
FUNDS.—The term 
‘total remaining obligated funds’ 
means, with respect to a fiscal 
year, 
$100,000,000, 
less 
an 
amount equal to the product of— 
‘‘(AA) $1,250,000; and 
‘‘(BB) the number of 
Exchanges 
described 
in 
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clause (i) for such fiscal 
year. 
‘‘(bb) SPECIFIED
STATE.— 
The term ‘specified State’ means, 
with respect to a fiscal year, a 
State in which the Secretary es-
tablishes and operates an Ex-
change 
pursuant 
to 
section 
1321(c).’’. 
Æ 
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