,,ii  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session  
,s4 #deeg  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of     
,,the ,,united ,,states  ,september #aj1
 #bjbj,ms4 ,baldwin 7for herself1 ,mr4  
,booker1 ,ms4 ,smith1 ,ms4 ,cortez      
,masto1 ,ms4 ,hirono1 ,mr4 ,merkley1    
,mr4 ,blumenthal1 and ,ms4 ,rosen7      
introduced the following bill2 which was
 read twice and referred to the         
,committee on ,health1 ,education1      
,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a ,,bill  ,to   
support efforts to provide intensive1   
individualized assistance for enrolling 
in health care coverage4  #a4 ,short    
title ,this ,act may be cited as the    
,c,o,vid ,enrollment ,response ,act or  
the ,,cover ,act4  #b4 ,intensive1      
individualized assistance for enrolling 
in health care ,section #acaa7;i77#f7 of
 the ,patient ,protection and           
,affordable ,care ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4   
#ahjca7;i77#f77 is amended-- 7#a7 by    
striking ,grants under this subsection  
shall be made from and inserting the    
following3  7,a7 ,in general ,grants    

under this subsection shall be made from
 funds appropriated under subparagraph  
7,b7 and  2 and  7#b7 by adding at the  
end thereof the following3  7,b7        
,appropriation  7i7 ,amount ,out of any 
funds in the ,treasury not otherwise    
appropriated1 there are hereby          
appropriated1 to carry out this         
subsection1 #aej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year
 #bjbj1 and #fjj1jjj1jjj for fiscal year
 #bjba4  7ii7 ,allotments  7,i7 ,in     
general ,payments of allotments under   
this subparagraph shall be made as soon 
as possible and remain available until  
expended4  7,,ii7 ,number of uninsured  
,fifty percent of the funds appropriated
 under this subparagraph for a fiscal   
year shall be expended in annual        
allotments for a ,state and the         
,district of ,columbia in proportion to 
the number of uninsured individuals in  
such ,state or ,district during calendar
 year #bjah1 as demonstrated by         
,american ,community ,survey            
,state-level data4  7,,iii7 ,recipients 

of unemployment insurance ,fifty percent
 of the funds appropriated under this   
subparagraph for a fiscal year shall be 
expended in quarterly allotments for a  
,state and the ,district of ,columbia in
 proportion to the average number of    
recipients of unemployment insurance in 
the ,state or ,districts1 including all 
categories of assistance1 during the    
most recent calendar quarter for which  
data are available from the ,department 
of ,labor4  7iii7 ,use ,notwithstanding 
any other provision of this subsection1 
funds described in this subparagraph    
shall be-- 7,i7 used at any point during
 the calendar year to facilitate        
enrolling individuals into and          
maintaining individuals' coverage in    
,state ,medicaid plans under title ,,xix
 of the ,social ,security ,act1 ,state  
,children's ,health ,insurance ,programs
 under title ,,xxi of such ,act1        
qualified health plans1 ,,cobra         
continuation coverage1 group health     
plans offered to furloughed employees on

 the same terms they are offered to     
other employees1 and other health       
coverage programs sponsored by ,states  
and localities1 with counseling and     
assistance provided by entities that    
assume a fiduciary duty to act in such  
individuals' best interests2  7,,ii7    
used to develop relationships with      
,state workforce agencies 7and1 at the  
entity's option1 employers7 through     
which an entity funded through this     
subparagraph reaches out to individuals 
losing employment and helps them enroll 
into minimum essential coverage2        
7,,iii7 awarded to organizations 7which 
may include agencies of ,states or      
political subdivision using hired or    
rehired employees7 with a demonstrated  
capacity to perform the duties specified
 in paragraph 7#c7 7extended1 for       
purposes of this subparagraph1 to       
include all programs described in       
subclause 7,i77 and this subparagraph1  
including relationships with and        
experience in successfully serving      

laid-off and furloughed workers1        
residents of rural areas and communities
 of color1 low-income individuals1      
members of immigrant families1 and other
 historically underserved populations2  
7,,iv7 awarded to organizations1 within 
each ,state1 that include at least two  
organizations located in the ,state     
serviced by such organizations1 at least
 one of which is a community-based and  
consumer-oriented nonprofit group2 and  
7,v7 used to supplement rather than     
supplant other funding1 staffing1 and   
programming provided under this         
subsection4  7iv7 ,definition ,for      
purposes of this subparagraph1 the term 
,,cobra continuation coverage means     
continuation coverage provided pursuant 
to part #f of subtitle ,b of title ,i of
 the ,employee ,retirement ,income      
,security ,act of #aigd 7other than     
under section #fji71 title ,,xxii of the
 ,public ,health ,service ,act1 section 
#dihj;,b of the ,internal ,revenue ,code
 of #aihf 7other than subsection 7f77#a7

 of such section insofar as it relates  
to pediatric vaccines71 or section      
#hije;a of title #e1 ,united ,states    
,code1 or under a ,state program that   
provides comparable continuation        
coverage4 ,such term does not include   
coverage under a health flexible        
spending arrangement under a cafeteria  
plan within the meaning of section #abe 
of the ,internal ,revenue ,code of      
#aihf4  4