119-hr957

[Congressional Bills 119th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 957 Introduced in House

    (IH) ]

<DOC>

119th CONGRESS
 1st Session
 H. R. 957

To provide for civil monetary penalties for violations of mental health 
 parity requirements.

_______________________________________________________________________

 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 February 4, 2025

 Mr. Norcross (for himself, Mr. Fitzpatrick, Mr. Courtney, Mr. Pocan, 
 and Mr. Johnson of Georgia) introduced the following bill; which was 
 referred to the Committee on Education and Workforce

_______________________________________________________________________

 A BILL

To provide for civil monetary penalties for violations of mental health 
 parity requirements.

 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives of the 
United States of America in Congress assembled,

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

 This Act may be cited as the ``Parity Enforcement Act of 2025''.

SEC. 2. CIVIL MONETARY PENALTIES FOR PARITY VIOLATIONS.

    (a) Civil Monetary Penalties Relating to Parity in Mental Health 
and Substance Use Disorders.--

Section 502
            (c) (10) of the Employee 
Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1132
            (c) (10)
        (A) ) is 
amended--

    (1) in the heading, by striking ``use of genetic 
 information'' and inserting ``use of genetic information and 
 parity in mental health and substance use disorder benefits''; 
 and

    (2) in subparagraph
        (A) --
        (A) by striking ``any plan sponsor of a group 
 health plan'' and inserting ``any plan sponsor, service 
 provider, or plan administrator of a group health 
 plan''; and
        (B) by striking ``for any failure'' and all that 
 follows through ``in connection with the plan.'' and 
 inserting ``for any failure by such sponsor, service 
 provider, administrator, or issuer, in connection with 
 the plan--
 ``
            (i) to meet the requirements of 
 subsection

    (a)

    (1)
        (F) ,

    (b)

    (3) ,
            (c) , or
            (d) of 
 

section 702 or 

section 701 or 702

    (b)

    (1) with 
 respect to genetic information; or
 ``
            (ii) to meet the requirements of 
 subsection

    (a) of 

section 712 with respect to 
 parity in mental health and substance use 
 disorder benefits.''.

    (b) Exception to the General Prohibition on Enforcement.--

Section 502 of such Act (29 U.S.C. 1132) is amended--

    (1) in subsection

    (a)

    (6) , by striking ``or

    (9) '' and 
 inserting ``

    (9) , or

    (10) ''; and

    (2) in subsection

    (b)

    (3) --
        (A) by striking ``subsections
            (c) (9) and

    (a)

    (6) '' 
 and inserting ``subsections
            (c) (9) ,
            (c) (10) , and

    (a)

    (6) ''; and
        (B) by striking ``under subsection
            (c) (9) )'' and 
 inserting ``under subsections
            (c) (9) and
            (c) (10) ), and 
 except with respect to enforcement by the Secretary of 
 

section 712''.
            (c) Effective Date.--The amendments made by subsection

    (a) shall 
apply with respect to group health plans, or any health insurance 
issuer offering health insurance coverage in connection with such plan, 
for plan years beginning after the date that is 1 year after the date 
of enactment of this Act.
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