,i  #aaith ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #igce  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,july #af1 #bjbf,mr4 
,courtney introduced the following bill2
 which was referred to the ,committee on
 ,education and ,workforce  ,a ,,bill   
,to amend the ,employee ,retirement     
,income ,security ,act of #aigd to      
establish a grant program to enable law 
students to assist participants and     
beneficiaries in certain civil          
enforcement actions1 and for other      
purposes4  #a4 ,short title ,this ,act  
may be cited as the ,clinics for ,law   
students ,investigating and ,navigating 
,claims ,assistance ,act or the ,,clinic
 ,assistance ,act4  #b4 ,,erisa clinics 
,part #e of title ,i of the ,employee   
,retirement ,income ,security ,act of   
#aigd 7#bi ,u4,s4,c4#aaca et seq47 is   
amended by adding at the end the        
following3  #ebe4 ,,erisa clinics and   
pro bono programs  7a7 ,establishment of
 grant program ,the ,secretary shall    
provide grants to eligible institutions 

for the purpose of planning1 developing1
 or operating an attorney-supervised    
clinical program1 externship1 or pro    
bono program for law students to improve
 access to benefits under employee      
welfare benefit plans4  7b7 ,use of     
funds  7#a7 ,in general ,an eligible    
institution that receives a grant under 
this section may use such grant to      
support programs through which          
participants and beneficiaries of       
employee welfare benefit plans can      
receive representation--  7,a7 in       
appeals of benefit denials1 including   
through the internal claims procedure   
and external review process of the plan2
  7,b7 in actions brought under section 
#ejb2  7,c7 in actions brought against a
 participant or beneficiary by a health 
care provider or facility regarding     
unpaid out-of-pocket costs2 and  7,d7 in
 any other action relating to--  7i7 the
 enforcement of title ,i of this ,act2  
and  7ii7 the receipt of benefits under 
employee welfare benefit plans1 as      

determined by the ,secretary4  7#b7     
,supervisory attorneys ,in addition to  
the uses specified in paragraph 7#a71 an
 eligible institution that receives a   
grant under this section may use a      
portion of such grant to pay the costs  
of providing an attorney to supervise a 
program supported by such grant4  7c7   
,eligible institution ,in this section1 
the term eligible institution means an  
accredited law school that is1 or is    
operated by1 an institution of higher   
education 7as defined in section        
#aja7;a7 of the ,higher ,education ,act 
of #aife 7#bj ,u4,s4,c4 #ajja7;a7774    
7d7 ,application ,to be eligible to     
receive a grant under this section1 an  
eligible institution shall submit to the
 ,secretary an application at such time1
 in such manner1 and containing such    
information as the ,secretary may       
require4  7e7 ,amount ,the ,secretary   
may not award more than #ejj1jjj to an  
eligible institution for any fiscal     
year4  7f7 ,,ebsa coordination  7#a7 ,in

 general ,the ,secretary shall require  
benefit advisors of the ,employee       
,benefits ,security ,administration of  
the ,department of ,labor to coordinate 
with eligible institutions operating a  
program described in subsection 7a7 to  
assist participants and beneficiaries in
 challenging denied benefit claims4     
7#b7 ,information sharing ,such benefit 
advisors may provide participants and   
beneficiaries with a list of eligible   
institutions that operate a program     
described in subsection 7a74  7g7       
,consumer assistance programs ,a program
 supported under subsection 7b77#a7 may 
coordinate with1 and make referrals to1 
a ,state office of health insurance     
consumer assistance1 health insurance   
ombudsman1 or other program that carries
 out the duties described in section    
#bgic7;c7 of the ,public ,health        
,service ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4            
#cjj;gg-#ic7;c774  7h7 ,authorization of
 appropriations ,there are authorized to
 be appropriated #e1jjj1jjj to carry out

 this section for each of fiscal years  
#bjbf through #bjcj4  4