ACCESS Act

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6420 Introduced in House (IH)]

<DOC>






119th CONGRESS
  1st Session
                                H. R. 6420

 To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to define short-
                    term limited duration insurance.


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                            December 4, 2025

Mr. Miller of Ohio (for himself and Mr. Allen) introduced the following 
    bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
 To amend title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act to define short-
                    term limited duration insurance.

    Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Affordable Care Economic Stability 
and Small Business Act'' or the ``ACCESS Act''.

SEC. 2. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) Americans, including small businesses in the Nation, 
        could benefit from access to efficient, quality, and more 
        affordable health care coverage options.
            (2) Health insurance coverage designed to fill temporary 
        gaps in coverage when an individual is transitioning from one 
        plan or coverage to another, such as transitions in employment, 
        is valuable.
            (3) Small businesses are particularly challenged by 
        escalating health care costs threatening their viability and 
        ability to continue supporting their employees and contributing 
        to their local economies.
            (4) With continuously rising health care costs, short-term 
        limited duration affordable health plans may provide a critical 
        means for small business owners to provide portable coverage 
        for United States workers.
            (5) Access to flexible health care choices for American 
        consumers and the small business community is paramount, 
        including insurance plans that provide affordable and flexible 
        coverage, building a path toward stronger health care coverage 
        in the Nation.

SEC. 3. SHORT-TERM LIMITED DURATION INSURANCE.

    (a) Definition.--Section 2791(b) of the Public Health Service Act 
(42 U.S.C. 300gg-91(b)) is amended by adding at the end the following 
new paragraph:
            ``(6) Short-term limited duration insurance.--The term 
        `short-term limited duration insurance' means health insurance 
        coverage provided under a contract with a health insurance 
        issuer that--
                    ``(A) has an expiration date specified in the 
                contract that is less than 12 months after the original 
                effective date of the contract; and
                    ``(B) has a duration of not more than 3 years 
                (taking into account renewals or extensions) after the 
                original effective date of the contract.''.
    (b) Guaranteed Renewability.--Section 2703 of the Public Health 
Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg-2) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (a), by inserting ``or offers short-term 
        limited duration insurance'' after ``group market''; and
            (2) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(f) Application to Short-Term Limited Duration Insurance.--
            ``(1) In general.--In applying this section in the case of 
        short-term limited duration insurance--
                    ``(A) a reference to `health insurance coverage' 
                with respect to such coverage offered in the individual 
                market shall be deemed to include short-term limited 
                duration insurance; and
                    ``(B) a reference to `health insurance issuer' with 
                respect to health insurance coverage offered in the 
                individual market shall be deemed to include an issuer 
                of short-term limited duration insurance.
            ``(2) Special rule for short-term limited duration 
        insurance.--In the case of short-term limited duration 
        insurance, at the time of application for enrollment in such 
        insurance coverage, an individual may decline renewability of 
        such coverage in accordance with this section, and the contract 
        between such individual and the health insurance issuer shall 
        specify whether the individual opted for renewability or no 
        renewability.''.
    (c) Applicability.--The amendments made by this section shall apply 
with respect to contracts for short-term limited duration insurance 
that take effect on or after the date of the enactment of this section.
                                 <all>