CLASS Act Text

111th CONGRESS

1st Session

H. R. 1721

To amend the Public Health Service Act to help individuals with functional impairments and their families pay for services and supports that they need to maximize their functionality and independence and have choices about community participation, education, and employment, and for other purposes.

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

March 25, 2009

Mr. PALLONE (for himself, Mr. DINGELL, and Mr. KENNEDY) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committees on Ways and Means, Rules, and the Budget, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned

A BILL

To amend the Public Health Service Act to help individuals with functional impairments and their families pay for services and supports that they need to maximize their functionality and independence and have choices about community participation, education, and employment, and for other purposes.

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 ‘Community Living Assistance Services and Supports Act’ or the ‘CLASS Act’.

SEC. 2. PURPOSES.

The purposes of this Act are as follows:

(1) To provide individuals with functional limitations with tools that will allow them to maintain their personal and financial independence and live in the community through a new financing strategy for community living assistance services and supports.

(2) To establish an infrastructure that will help address America’s community living assistance services and supports needs.

(3) To alleviate burdens on family caregivers.

SEC. 3. TABLE OF CONTENTS.

The table of contents for this Act is as follows:

Sec. 1. Short title.

Sec. 2. Purposes.

Sec. 3. Table of contents.

TITLE I--COMMUNITY LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

Sec. 101. Establishment of national voluntary insurance program for purchasing community living assistance services and support.

TITLE II--AMENDMENTS TO THE INTERNAL REVENUE CODE OF 1986

Sec. 201. Above-the-line deduction for premium costs.

Sec. 202. Credit for premium costs of CLASS enrollees with low-income.

Sec. 203. Credit for costs of employers who elect to automatically enroll employees and withhold class premiums from wages.

Sec. 204. Long-term care insurance includible in cafeteria plans.

TITLE III--EFFECTIVE DATE

Sec. 301. Effective date.

TITLE I--COMMUNITY LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

SEC. 101. ESTABLISHMENT OF NATIONAL VOLUNTARY INSURANCE PROGRAM FOR PURCHASING COMMUNITY LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND SUPPORT.

(a) Establishment of Program-

(1) IN GENERAL- The Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 201 et seq.) is amended by adding at the end the following:

‘TITLE XXXI--COMMUNITY LIVING ASSISTANCE SERVICES AND SUPPORTS

‘SEC. 3101. DEFINITIONS.

‘In this title:

‘(1) ACTIVE ENROLLEE- The term ‘active enrollee’ means an individual who is enrolled in the CLASS program in accordance with section 3102 and who has paid any premiums due to maintain such enrollment in accordance with section 3103.

‘(2) ACTIVELY AT WORK- The term ‘actively at work’ means an individual who--