KIDS Act of 2017

Bill: 115-s-1827
Sponsor: Sen. Hatch, Orrin G. [R-UT]
Introduced: 2017-09-18 in the Senate
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Appropriations
Child health
Department of Health and Human Services
Health care costs and insurance
Health care coverage and access
Health care quality
Health programs administration and funding
Medicaid
Nutrition and diet
Physical fitness and lifestyle
Poverty and welfare assistance
State and local finance

Summary:
action_date: 2017-09-18
text: 

Keep Kids' Insurance Dependable and Secure Act of 2017 or the KIDS Act of 2017

 
This bill amends titles XI (General Provisions), XIX (Medicaid), and XXI (Children's Health Insurance Program) (CHIP) of the Social Security Act to extend funding for CHIP through FY2022 and otherwise revise provisions related to CHIP and Medicaid. 
 
The bill also extends funding through FY2022 for:
 
 
the Child Enrollment Contingency Fund, 
 
the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project, 
 
the Pediatric Quality Measures Program, and 
 
specified outreach and enrollment grants.

 
In addition, the bill reauthorizes through FY2022:
 
 
the qualifying-states option (which allows states that provided coverage to now CHIP-eligible children prior to CHIP's enactment to continue to provide such coverage), and 
 
the express-lane eligibility option (which allows states to use eligibility findings from other public benefit programs to determine children's eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP).

 
Beginning in FY2020, the bill allows state child-health plans to adopt more restrictive eligibility standards with respect to children in families whose income exceeds 300% of the poverty line.
 
Current law provides states with an enhanced Federal Matching Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for child-health assistance through FY2019. The bill maintains the enhanced FMAP in FY2020, but halves the percentage-point increase.

action_date: 2017-12-20
text: 

Keep Kids' Insurance Dependable and Secure Act of 2017 or the KIDS Act of 2017

 
(Sec. 2) This bill extends funding through FY2022 for the Children's Health Insurance Program (CHIP) and the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project. 
 
In addition, the bill reauthorizes through FY2022:
 
 
the qualifying-states option (which allows states that provided coverage to now CHIP-eligible children prior to CHIP's enactment to continue to provide such coverage), and 
 
the express-lane eligibility option (which allows states to use eligibility findings from other public benefit programs to determine children's eligibility for Medicaid and CHIP).

 
Beginning in FY2020, the bill allows state child-health plans to adopt more restrictive eligibility standards with respect to children in families whose income exceeds 300% of the poverty line.
 
(Sec. 3) The bill extends funding through FY2022 for the Childhood Obesity Demonstration Project and the Pediatric Quality Measures Program.
 
(Sec. 4) The bill extends funding through FY2022 for specified outreach and enrollment grants.
 
(Sec. 5) Current law provides states with an enhanced Federal Matching Assistance Percentage (FMAP) for child-health assistance through FY2019. The bill maintains the enhanced FMAP in FY2020, but halves the percentage-point increase.


Legislative actions:
action_date: 2017-12-20
text: Placed on Senate Legislative Calendar under General Orders. Calendar No. 288.
action_date: 2017-12-20
text: Committee on Finance. Reported by Senator Hatch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-197.
action_date: 2017-12-20
text: Committee on Finance. Reported by Senator Hatch with an amendment in the nature of a substitute. With written report No. 115-197.
action_date: 2017-09-18
text: Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
action_date: 2017-09-18
text: Introduced in Senate