Title 42 — The Public Health and WelfareRelease 119-73not60
§1397ii Miscellaneous Provisions
Title 42 › Chapter 7— SOCIAL SECURITY › Subchapter XXI— STATE CHILDREN’S HEALTH INSURANCE PROGRAM › § 1397ii
Summary
Health coverage provided under the child health program here, including some approved waivers, must count as prior coverage for federal rules about employer health plans, the federal public health law, and the tax code (ERISA, the Public Health Service Act, and the Internal Revenue Code). This law does not change the ERISA section 514 rules that apply to group health plans. The Commerce Secretary must change the Current Population Survey so states get reliable yearly counts of low‑income children without health insurance and so children can be grouped by family income, age, and race or ethnicity. For data collected in fiscal years starting with 2009, and working with HHS, Commerce must also improve state estimates of children in Medicaid or CHIP, help measure high‑performing States, add child health questions to the American Community Survey, study whether ACS or CPS gives better estimates, and recommend which to use. HHS may allow a careful transition if ACS replaces or supplements CPS. Congress set aside $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2008 (available until spent) and $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and every year after to pay for this.
Full Legal Text
Title 42, §1397ii
The Public Health and Welfare — Source: USLM XML via OLRC
(a)(1)Health benefits coverage provided under section 1397aa(a)(1) of this title (and coverage provided under a waiver under section 1397ee(c)(2)(B) of this title) shall be treated as creditable coverage for purposes of part 7 of subtitle B of title I of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 [29 U.S.C. 1181 et seq.], title XXVII of the Public Health Service Act [42 U.S.C. 300gg et seq.], and subtitle K of the Internal Revenue Code of 1986.
(2)Nothing in this subchapter shall be construed as affecting or modifying section 514 of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 (29 U.S.C. 1144) with respect to a group health plan (as defined in section 2791(a)(1) of the Public Health Service Act (42 U.S.C. 300gg–91(a)(1))).
(b)(1)The Secretary of Commerce shall make appropriate adjustments to the annual Current Population Survey conducted by the Bureau of the Census in order to produce statistically reliable annual State data on the number of low-income children who do not have health insurance coverage, so that real changes in the uninsurance rates of children can reasonably be detected. The Current Population Survey should produce data under this subsection that categorizes such children by family income, age, and race or ethnicity. The adjustments made to produce such data shall include, where appropriate, expanding the sample size used in the State sampling units, expanding the number of sampling units in a State, and an appropriate verification element.
(2)In addition to making the adjustments required to produce the data described in paragraph (1), with respect to data collection occurring for fiscal years beginning with fiscal year 2009, in appropriate consultation with the Secretary of Health and Human Services, the Secretary of Commerce shall do the following:
(A)Make appropriate adjustments to the Current Population Survey to develop more accurate State-specific estimates of the number of children enrolled in health coverage under subchapter XIX or this subchapter.
(B)Make appropriate adjustments to the Current Population Survey to improve the survey estimates used to determine a high-performing State under section 1397kk(b)(3)(B) of this title and any other data necessary for carrying out this subchapter.
(C)Include health insurance survey information in the American Community Survey related to children.
(D)Assess whether American Community Survey estimates, once such survey data are first available, produce more reliable estimates than the Current Population Survey with respect to the purposes described in subparagraph (B).
(E)On the basis of the assessment required under subparagraph (D), recommend to the Secretary of Health and Human Services whether American Community Survey estimates should be used in lieu of, or in some combination with, Current Population Survey estimates for the purposes described in subparagraph (B).
(F)Continue making the adjustments described in the last sentence of paragraph (1) with respect to expansion of the sample size used in State sampling units, the number of sampling units in a State, and using an appropriate verification element.
(3)If, on the basis of the assessment required under paragraph (2)(D), the Secretary of Commerce recommends to the Secretary of Health and Human Services that American Community Survey estimates should be used in lieu of, or in some combination with, Current Population Survey estimates for the purposes described in paragraph (2)(B), the Secretary of Health and Human Services, in consultation with the States, may provide for a period during which the Secretary may transition from carrying out such purposes through the use of Current Population Survey estimates to the use of American Community Survey estimates (in lieu of, or in combination with the Current Population Survey estimates, as recommended), provided that any such transition is implemented in a manner that is designed to avoid adverse impacts upon States with approved State child health plans under this subchapter.
(4)Out of any money in the Treasury of the United States not otherwise appropriated, there are appropriated $20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009 and each fiscal year thereafter for the purpose of carrying out this subsection (except that only with respect to fiscal year 2008, there are appropriated $20,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out this subsection, to remain available until expended).
Legislative History
Notes & Related Subsidiaries
Editorial Notes
References in Text
The Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is Pub. L. 93–406, Sept. 2, 1974, 88 Stat. 832. Part 7 of subtitle B of title I of the Act is classified generally to part 7 (§ 1181 et seq.) of subtitle B of subchapter I of chapter 18 of Title 29, Labor. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 1001 of Title 29 and Tables. The Public Health Service Act, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is act July 1, 1944, ch. 373, 58 Stat. 682. Title XXVII of the Act is classified generally to subchapter XXV (§ 300gg et seq.) of chapter 6A of this title. For complete classification of this Act to the Code, see
Short Title
note set out under section 201 of this title and Tables. The Internal Revenue Code of 1986, referred to in subsec. (a)(1), is classified generally to Title 26, Internal Revenue Code. Subtitle K of such Code appears at section 9801 et seq. of Title 26.
Amendments
2010—Subsec. (b)(2)(B). Pub. L. 111–148 substituted “a high-performing State under section 1397kk(b)(3)(B) of this title” for “the child population growth factor under section 1397dd(m)(5)(B) of this title”. 2009—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 111–3, § 602(b)(2), added par. (2). Former par. (2) redesignated (4). Pub. L. 111–3, § 602(a), substituted “$20,000,000 for fiscal year 2009” for “$10,000,000 for fiscal year 2000”. Subsec. (b)(3), (4). Pub. L. 111–3, § 602(b), added par. (3) and redesignated former par. (2) as (4). 2007—Subsec. (b)(2). Pub. L. 110–173 inserted before period at end “(except that only with respect to fiscal year 2008, there are appropriated $20,000,000 for the purpose of carrying out this subsection, to remain available until expended)”. 1999—Subsec. (a)(1). Pub. L. 106–113, § 1000(a)(6) [title VII, § 705(c)(1)], substituted “title I” for “title II” before “of the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974,”. Subsec. (a)(2). Pub. L. 106–113, § 1000(a)(6) [title VII, § 705(c)(2)], inserted closing parenthesis before period at end. Subsec. (b). Pub. L. 106–113, § 1000(a)(6) [title VII, § 703(a)], added subsec. (b).
Statutory Notes and Related Subsidiaries
Effective Date
of 2010 Amendment Pub. L. 111–148, title II, § 2102(a), Mar. 23, 2010, 124 Stat. 288, provided that the amendment made by Pub. L. 111–148 is effective as if included in the enactment of the Children’s Health Insurance Program Reauthorization Act of 2009 (Pub. L. 111–3).
Effective Date
of 2009 AmendmentAmendment by Pub. L. 111–3 effective Apr. 1, 2009, and applicable to child health assistance and medical assistance provided on or after that date, with certain exceptions, see section 3 of Pub. L. 111–3, set out as an
Effective Date
note under section 1396 of this title.
Reference
Citations & Metadata
Citation
42 U.S.C. § 1397ii
Title 42 — The Public Health and Welfare
Last Updated
Apr 5, 2026
Release point: 119-73not60