H.R. 9551

119 HR 9551 IH: Mental Health Parity Enforcement and Funding Act
 U.S. House of Representatives
 2026-06-30
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 I  119th CONGRESS  2d Session  H. R. 9551  IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES   June 30, 2026   Mr. Kean  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.
1.
Short title
This Act may be cited as the   Mental Health Parity Enforcement and Funding Act  .
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.
3.
Appropriations
There are appropriated to the Employee Benefits Security Administration to carry out the amendments made to the Employee Retirement Income Act of 1974 ( 29 U.S.C. 1001 et seq. ) by the Paul Wellstone and Pete Domenici Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act of 2008 ( Public Law 110–343 ) and this Act, $30,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031.