Rep. Van Duyne Announces House Committee on Small Business Passed Legislation Requiring SBA to Promote Employee Health Care Options

Washington, D.C. - Yesterday, U.S. Representative Beth Van Duyne (R-TX-24) announced the Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2026 has been passed by the House Committee on Small Business. Working with Committee Chairman Roger Williams and bill co-sponsors, Representatives Claudia Tenney (R-NY-24), Kevin Hern (R-OK-01), and Rob Bresnahan (R-PA-08), Representative Van Duyne successfully moved the bill through committee for consideration by the full House.

"ICHRAs are an innovative way for employers to have more affordable and flexible health coverage for their employees - but we need SBA assistance to help raise awareness among already time constrained and overburdened small business owners," said Rep. Van Duyne. "The tens of millions of American small business owners deserve to know what options are out there - that is why I am excited that my bill is being sent out of committee to be considered on the House floor."

"I congratulate Rep. Van Duyne on the Committee passage of her bill, the Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2026," said Chairman Williams. "This bill helps small businesses better understand and access Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs), giving employers more flexibility to provide affordable health care options for their employees. I thank Rep. Van Duyne for her strong leadership and dedicated work on the Committee to support America's small businesses and cut health care costs for workers and entrepreneurs."

"ICHRA is the win-win model that gives employers predictable costs and employees the ability to choose the plan that is best for them and their families. Ensuring more small businesses know what ICHRA can do for them is a key step in bringing affordable healthcare to every American," said Mark Bertolini, CEO of Oscar Health.

Summary:
The Small Business Health Options Awareness Act of 2026 requires the Small Business Administration (SBA) to actively disseminate information developed by the U.S. Department of Treasury, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, U.S. Department of Labor, and other federal agencies about ICHRAs. This outreach must occur via Small Business Development Centers, SBA district offices, and standard SBA communication tools (press releases, social media, website postings). The goal is to ensure small businesses know that ICHRAs offer a flexible, tax-advantaged way for employers to help employees pay for individual health coverage.

Background:
Individual Coverage Health Reimbursement Arrangements (ICHRAs) were created under regulations issued by the Trump administration in 2019, and became available as of 2020. Through ICHRAs, employers of any size can reimburse employees for some or all of the premiums the employees pay for health insurance they purchase on their own.

Click HERE for bill text.

Click HERE to watch Rep. Van Duyne's remarks in the Small Business Committee Markup.

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