Volunteers and Obamacare, with an Amendment that Extends Emergency Unemployment Insurance (H.R. 3979)

What is H.R. 3979?

(Updated July 19, 2017)

This bill was enacted on December 19, 2014

Originally, a bill that excludes volunteer hours of volunteer firefighters and emergency medical personnel from counting towards the calculation of the number of a firm’s full-time employees for purposes of certain provisions of the Affordable Health Care Act. The bill passed unanimously in the House and was sent to the Senate, where Majority Leader Reid (D-NV) employed the bill as a vehicle for provisions for extending unemployment insurance benefits, including those outlined here. 

Argument in favor

Argument opposed

Impact

Impacts emergency services volunteers, and the entities for which they volunteer, as well as those receiving unemployment benefits.

Cost of H.R. 3979

The CBO estimates no significant budgetary effect for solely the component of the bill regarding volunteers; the extension of unemployment benefits, however, would cost $10 billion, and Sen. Reid (D-NV) has stated that the costs would be offset via changes to a 2012 highway bill and extending customs user fees through 2024.

Additional Info

Media: 

The Hill: Unemployment Bill Clears Hurdle in Senate (4/2/14) 

Of Note: 

House Speaker Boehner (R-OH) has said he will not consider any unemployment legislation that fails to include job-creating provisions, implying that when this bill is returned to the House, it will be rejected.