Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2007

To increase the minimum wage, to provide access to health care coverage to employees of small businesses, and to preserve American jobs.

1/9/2007--Introduced.
Working Families Wage and Access to Health Care Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 to incrementally increase the federal minimum wage to $7.25. Small Business Health Fairness Act of 2007 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to provide for establishment and governance of association health plans (AHPs), which are group health plans whose sponsors are trade, industry, professional, chamber of commerce, or similar business associations, and which meet certain ERISA certification requirements. Establishes the Association Health Plan Fund to be used by the Secretary of Labor to make payments to an insurer to maintain coverage for a plan, if there is a reasonable expectation that, without such payments, claims would not be satisfied by reason of termination of coverage. Requires the Secretary to establish a Solvency Standards Working Group. Allows a state to impose a contribution tax on an association health plan, if the plan commenced operations in such state after the date of enactment of this Act. Preempts any state law that may preclude a health insurance issuer from:
(1) offering health insurance coverage in connection with a certified AHP; or
(2) offering health insurance coverage of the same policy type to other employers operating in the state which are eligible for coverage under such AHPs, whether or not such other employers are participating employers in such plan. Amends the Internal Revenue Code to extend through 2011 the increased expensing allowance for small business assets. Revises the definition of "qualified restaurant property" to eliminate the requirement that improvements to restaurant property must be placed in service more than three years after the original building is placed in service.

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Sponsor

• Rep. Howard McKeon [R, CA-25]
• and 35 Co-Sponsors
  • Rep. Robert Aderholt [R, AL-4]
  • Richard Baker
  • Rep. Judy Biggert [R, IL-13]
  • Rep. John Boozman [R, AR-3]
  • Rep. Charles Boustany [R, LA-7]
  • Rep. Ken Calvert [R, CA-44]
  • Rep. David Camp [R, MI-4]
  • Jo Ann Davis
  • Thelma Drake
  • Philip English
  • Rep. Jeffrey Fortenberry [R, NE-1]
  • Luis Fortuño
  • Rep. Rodney Frelinghuysen [R, NJ-11]
  • Rep. Elton Gallegly [R, CA-24]
  • Rep. Kay Granger [R, TX-12]
  • Rep. Dean Heller [R, NV-2]
  • Bobby Jindal
  • Rep. Mark Kirk [R, IL-10]
  • Rep. John Kline [R, MN-2]
  • Ron Lewis
  • Rep. John Linder [R, GA-7]
  • Rep. Daniel Lungren [R, CA-3]
  • Rep. Kenny Marchant [R, TX-24]
  • Rep. Kevin McCarthy [R, CA-22]
  • Rep. Michael McCaul [R, TX-10]
  • Rep. Thaddeus McCotter [R, MI-11]
  • James McCrery
  • Rep. Thomas Petri [R, WI-6]
  • Rep. Todd Platts [R, PA-19]
  • Jon Porter
  • Rep. Dennis Rehberg [R, MT-0]
  • Rick Renzi
  • Rep. Jean Schmidt [R, OH-2]
  • Rep. Patrick Tiberi [R, OH-12]
  • Gerald Weller
  close

Committees

• House Ways and Means
• 3 more
  • House Education and Labor
  • House Education and Labor
  • House Education and Labor
  close

Amendments

This bill has no amendments.

Amendments to H.R.324

Number	Status	Purpose

Bill Status

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Introduced		Voted on by House		Voted on by Senate		Considered By President		Bill Becomes Law
January 09, 2007

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All Bill Actions

• May 09, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
• May 09, 2007: Referred to the Subcommittee on Workforce Protections.
• Jan 09, 2007: Referred to House Ways and Means
• Jan 09, 2007: Referred to House Education and Labor
• Jan 09, 2007: Referred to the Committee on Education and Labor, 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.
• Introduced on Jan 09, 2007.

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Related Bills:

• H.R.241
• H.R.1012

Related Issue Areas:

• Health policy
• Administrative fees
• Administrative procedure
• Bankruptcy
• 61 more
• Budgets
• Building construction
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• Congress
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• Flexible benefit plans
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Blog Coverage

November 07, 2007 Senate Finance Panel Approves Small Business Tax Package; House ...

The administration, in a written policy statement, applauded provisions in the Working Families Wage and Access to Health Care Bill (HR 324), which would establish association health plans and increased expensing for small business. ...

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October 27, 2007 [10:11] (DarthBurg) well, the donkeys KNOW they absolutely HAVE to ...

[18:29] (nharris) HR 324 will "Leave Britney Alone" [18:29] (cyberfr0g) we need to take back our country out of the hands of these criminals [18:29] (cyberfr0g) all of them, they are all criminals [18:30] (cyberfr0g) criminals with ...

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February 14, 2007 HR 324 Enrolled

Commending Richard Moore for serving on the McAllen Independent School District Board of Trustees in District 36.

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Source: Texas Legislature - Today's Bill Text

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