,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #facj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,march #i1 #bjbj,mr4 
,harder of ,california 7for himself and 
,mr4 ,schrader7 introduced the following
 bill2 which was referred to the        
,committee on ,education and ,labor  ,a 
,,bill  ,to require the ,secretary of   
,labor to update the model ,,cobra      
continuation coverage general notice and
 the model ,,cobra continuation coverage
 election notice1 and for other         
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,improving          
,awareness of ,health ,coverage ,options
 ,act4  #b4 ,requirement for ,secretary 
of ,labor to update model ,,cobra       
continuation coverage general notice and
 model ,,cobra continuation coverage    
election notice  7a7 ,in general ,not   
later than #ij days after the date of   
the enactment of this ,act1 the         
,secretary of ,labor1 in consultation   
with the ,secretary of ,health and      
,human ,services1 shall update1 and make

 publicly available in a prominent      
location on the website of the          
,department of ,labor1 the model        
,consolidated ,omnibus ,budget          
,reconciliation ,act of #aihe 7referred 
to in this section as ,,cobra7          
continuation coverage general notice and
 the model ,,cobra continuation coverage
 election notice developed by the       
,secretary of ,labor for purposes of    
facilitating compliance of group health 
plans with the notification requirements
 under section #fjf of the ,employee    
,retirement ,income ,security ,act of   
#aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aaff74 ,in        
updating each such notice1 the          
,secretary of ,labor shall include      
information regarding any ,exchange     
established under title ,i of the       
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act through which a qualified    
beneficiary may be eligible to enroll in
 a qualified health plan1 including--   
7#a7 the publicly accessible internet   
website address for such ,exchange2     

7#b7 the publicly accessible internet   
website address for the ,find ,local    
,help directory maintained by the       
,department of ,health and ,human       
,services on the healthcare4gov internet
 website 7or a successor website72  7#c7
 a clear explanation that-- 7,a7 an     
individual who is eligible for          
continuation coverage may also be       
eligible to enroll1 with financial      
assistance1 in a qualified health plan  
offered through such ,exchange1 but1 in 
the case that such individual elects to 
enroll in such continuation coverage and
 subsequently elects to terminate such  
continuation coverage before the period 
of such continuation coverage expires1  
such individual will not be eligible to 
enroll in a qualified health plan       
offered through such ,exchange during a 
special enrollment period2 and  7,b7 an 
individual who elects to enroll in      
continuation coverage will remain       
eligible to enroll in a qualified health
 plan offered through such ,exchange    

during an open enrollment period and may
 be eligible for financial assistance   
with respect to enrolling in such a     
qualified health plan2  7#d7 information
 on consumer protections with respect to
 enrolling in a qualified health plan   
offered through such ,exchange1         
including the requirement for such a    
qualified health plan to provide        
coverage for essential health benefits  
7as defined in section #acjb7;b7 of such
 ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjbb7;b777 and   
the requirements applicable to such a   
qualified health plan under part ,a of  
title ,,xxvii of the ,public ,health    
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #cjj;gg et 
seq472 and  7#e7 information on the     
availability of financial assistance    
with respect to enrolling in a qualified
 health plan1 including the maximum     
income limit for eligibility for a      
premium tax credit under section #cf;,b 
of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of      
#aihf4  7b7 ,name of notices ,in        
addition to updating the model ,,cobra  

continuation coverage general notice and
 the model ,,cobra continuation coverage
 election notice under subsection 7a71  
the ,secretary of ,labor shall rename   
each such notice as the model ,,cobra   
continuation coverage and ,affordable   
,care ,act coverage general notice and  
the model ,,cobra continuation coverage 
and ,affordable ,care ,act coverage     
election notice1 respectively4  7c7     
,consumer testing ,prior to making      
publicly available the model ,,cobra    
continuation coverage general notice and
 the model ,,cobra continuation coverage
 election notice updated under          
subsection 7a71 the ,secretary of ,labor
 shall provide an opportunity for       
consumer testing of each such notice1 as
 so updated1 to ensure that each such   
notice is clear and understandable to   
the average participant or beneficiary  
of a group health plan4  7d7            
,definitions ,in this section3 7#a7     
,continuation coverage ,the term        
continuation coverage1 with respect to a

 group health plan1 has the meaning     
given such term in section #fjb of the  
,employee ,retirement ,income ,security 
,act of #aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4 #aafb74    
7#b7 ,group health plan ,the term group 
health plan has the meaning given such  
term in section #fjg of such ,act 7#bi  
,u4,s4,c4 #aafg74  7#c7 ,qualified      
beneficiary ,the term qualified         
beneficiary has the meaning given such  
term in such section #fjg4  7#d7        
,qualified health plan ,the term        
qualified health plan has the meaning   
given such term in section #acja of the 
,patient ,protection and ,affordable    
,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4 #ahjba74