,,ii  #aadth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #ccbb  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #ad1
 #bjaf ,mr4 ,flake introduced the       
following bill2 which was read twice and
 referred to the ,committee on ,finance 
,a ,,bill  ,to provide an exemption to  
the individual mandate to maintain      
health coverage for certain individuals 
residing in service areas with no health
 insurance issuers offering plans on an 
,exchange1 and for other purposes4  #a4 
,hardship exemption for individuals with
 no plans offered on an ,exchange  7a7  
,in general  7#a7 ,modification of      
hardship exemption ,section             
#acaa7;d77#d77;,h7 of the ,patient      
,protection and ,affordable ,care ,act  
7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjca7;d77#d77;,h77 is  
amended--  7,a7 in clause 7i71 by       
striking or at the end2  7,b7 by        
redesignating clause 7ii7 as clause     
7iii72 and  7,c7 by inserting after     
clause 7i7 the following new clause3    
7ii7 there is no health insurance issuer

 offering any qualified health plan to  
such individual through an ,exchange in 
the service area in which the individual
 resides2 or  4  7#b7 ,effective date   
,the amendments made by paragraph 7#a7  
shall apply to months beginning on or   
after ,january #a1 #bjag4  7b7          
,short-,term plans ,notwithstanding any 
other provision of law1 an individual   
who has been certified under clause 7ii7
 of section #acaa7;d77#d77;,h7 of the   
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4               
#acjca7;d77#d77;,h77 as exempt from the 
individual requirement or penalty under 
section #ejjj;,a of the ,internal       
,revenue ,code of #aihf may enroll in a 
short-term health plan for each month   
for which such certification applies1   
and a health insurance issuer may       
provide any such individual coverage    
under a short-term health plan for each 
such month1 including continuous        
coverage in excess of #c months and     
renewal of coverage1 as applicable4