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Health Care for Working Families Act

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Official summary

Version 00 · Introduced in Senate · Jun 18, 2002

Health Care for Working Families Act - Amends the Fair Labor Standards Act of 1938 (FLSA) to establish a new title II, Health Benefits for Employees and Their Families.Requires employers with 100 or more employees (large employers) to: (1) offer employees the opportunity to enroll in a qualifying health benefit plan that provides family coverage; (2) contribute at least 75 percent of the plan premium; and (3) withhold the employee's share from wages. Applies such requirements to smaller employers that perform a majority of their services for a single large employer. Considers contract, leased, and temporary workers as employees. Provides a formula for determining an alternative minimum employer contribution for plan coverage of part-time workers (who work less than 30 but no less than ten hours per week).Requires such qualifying health plans to provide benefits that are actuarially equivalent or greater in value than those under the Blue Cross-Blue Shield Standard Plan under the Federal Employees Health Benefit Program as of January 1, 2002.Amends the Public Health Service Act to require health insurance issuers to ensure that any employee health insurance coverage they offer to employers complies with requirements of title II of FLSA.

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Who introduced it

Sen. Kennedy, Edward M. [D-MA] · D–MA

Committees

  • Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions Committee
1 cosponsorship records, including any withdrawals

Actions

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  1. Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

  2. Sponsor introductory remarks on measure. (CR S5707-5708)

  3. Introduced in Senate

Bill text & related measures

Text links open the official source. We currently store references to these documents.

Related bills identified by Congress.gov

No related bills are listed in this snapshot. This does not establish whether the proposal has appeared in earlier Congresses.

Source last updated: Aug 19, 2025. Consult Congress.gov for the current record.

Explore the bill from different angles

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Neutral evidence review

Objective

Analyze S.2639 as objectively as possible. Explain its main provisions, who would be affected, possible benefits and harms, implementation, exceptions, and uncertainties. Present the strongest arguments for and against it, and identify evidence needed to assess its public impact.

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Fairness and public impact

Progressive lens

Examine S.2639 through a progressive lens, focusing on fairness, access, economic inequality, and effects on vulnerable communities. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and distinguish stated goals from demonstrated outcomes.

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Institutions and government scope

Conservative lens

Examine S.2639 through a conservative lens, focusing on fiscal responsibility, institutional stability, federalism, and the scope of government. Explain potential benefits, costs, and unintended consequences. Consider the strongest counterarguments and any provisions that challenge this perspective.

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Individual rights and government power

Liberty lens

Examine S.2639 through a civil-liberties and limited-government lens. Consider individual rights, privacy, voluntary choice, accountability, and government power. Explain tradeoffs, possible safeguards, and the strongest counterarguments without assuming the proposal is beneficial or harmful.

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