Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits Protection Act of 2013
Referred to the Subcommittee on Health, Employment, Labor, and Pensions.
Congressional Research Service
Official summary
Version 00 · Introduced in House · Jun 18, 2013
Earned Retiree Healthcare Benefits Protection Act of 2013 - Amends the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (ERISA) to establish an enforceable obligation on sponsors of group health plans to restore health benefits previously taken away from plan participants to the extent such benefits were cancelled or altered after their retirement.
Prohibits group health plans from reducing retiree health benefits after the retirement of a plan beneficiary. Requires such plans to adopt provisions barring post-retirement reductions in retiree health benefits.
Requires group health plan sponsors to grant benefit restoration to retired plan participants. Authorizes the Secretary of Labor to waive or vary requirements for benefit restoration if compliance with such requirements would: (1) be adverse to the interests of plan participants in the aggregate, (2) not be administratively feasible, and (3) cause substantial business hardship to plan sponsors.
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Establishes the Emergency Retiree Health Loan Guarantee Program. Authorizes the Program to guarantee loans provided by private financial institutions to assist plan sponsors in meeting benefit restoration obligations under this Act. Terminates loan guarantee authority on December 31, 2019.
Authorizes the Secretary to assess civil penalties for violations of this Act.
No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.
Source last updated: Mar 23, 2026. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.
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