,i  #aaeth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #edia  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #ab1 #bjah    
,mr4 ,fortenberry introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,agriculture  ,a      
,,bill  ,to provide loans and grants to 
qualified agricultural associations to  
assist in the establishment of          
agricultural association health plans4  
#a4 ,short title ,this ,act may be cited
 as the ,rural ,health ,insurance ,act  
of #bjah4  #b4 ,supporting agricultural 
association health plans  7a7 ,in       
general ,the ,secretary of ,agriculture 
may establish a loan program and a grant
 program to assist in the establishment 
of agricultural association health      
plans1 in order to help bring new health
 options and lower priced health care   
coverage to rural ,americans4  7b7      
,loans  7#a7 ,in general ,with respect  
to plan years #bjai through #bjbb1 the  
,secretary of ,agriculture1 in          
consultation with the ,secretary of     

,labor1 may make not more than #aj loans
 under this section1 for purposes of    
establishing agricultural association   
health plans1 to qualified agricultural 
associations that have not received a   
loan under this section4  7#b7 ,use of  
funds ,the proceeds of a loan made under
 this section may only be used to       
finance costs associated with           
establishing and carrying out an        
agricultural association health plan4   
7#c7 ,loan terms ,a loan made under this
 section shall-- 7,a7 bear interest at  
an annual rate equivalent to the cost of
 borrowing to the ,department of the    
,treasury for obligations of comparable 
maturities2  7,b7 have a term of such   
length1 not exceeding #bj years1 as the 
borrower may request2  7,c7 be in an    
amount not to exceed #ae1jjj1jjj2  7,d7 
require that the borrower submit annual 
audited financial statements to the     
,secretary2 and  7,e7 include any other 
requirements or documentation the       
,secretary deems necessary to carry out 

this section4  7c7 ,grants ,the         
,secretary may make grants to           
agricultural trade associations or      
industry associations which have been in
 existence for at least three years     
prior to applying for such a grant to   
provide for technical assistance in     
establishing an agricultural association
 health plan4  7d7 ,authorization of    
appropriations  7#a7 ,in general ,there 
are authorized to be appropriated to    
carry out this section #fe1jjj1jjj for  
the period of fiscal years #bjai through
 #bjbb1 to be available until expended4 
7#b7 ,reservation of funds ,of the funds
 made available under paragraph 7#a71   
not more than #ae percent of such funds 
shall be made available to make grants  
under subsection 7c74  7e7 ,definitions 
,in this section3  7#a7 ,agricultural   
association health plan ,the term       
agricultural association health plan    
means a group health plan within the    
meaning of section #gcc7;a77#a7 of the  
,employee ,retirement ,income ,security 

,act of #aigd 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #aaia;b7-- 
7,a7 that is sponsored by a qualified   
agricultural association2 and  7,b7 with
 respect to which the ,secretary has    
received a letter from the relevant     
,state insurance commissioner certifying
 that such association may offer such   
plan in such ,state4  7#b7 ,qualified   
agricultural association ,the term      
qualified agricultural association means
 an association--  7,a7 composed of     
members that operate a farm or ranch or 
operate an agribusiness2  7,b7 that     
qualifies as an association health plan 
within the meaning of guidance or       
regulation issued by the ,department of 
,labor2  7,c7 that acts directly or     
indirectly in the interest of its       
members in relation to the plan2  7,d7  
that is able to demonstrate an ability  
to implement and manage a group health  
plan2 and  7,e7 that meets any other    
criteria the ,secretary deems necessary 
to meet the intent of this section4