This bill requires Members of Congress to certify monthly compliance with Medicaid and SNAP work requirements to maintain their federal health benefits.
Raja Krishnamoorthi
Representative
IL-8
The **BURDEN Act** requires Members of Congress to personally certify compliance with Medicaid and SNAP work requirements each month to maintain their Federal Employees Health Benefits. This legislation mandates that elected officials must prove they meet these community engagement and work standards to keep their own health coverage.
The 'BURDEN Act' Ties Congressional Health Insurance to Monthly SNAP and Medicaid Work Requirement Certification
The aptly named "Bringing Unfair Reporting Duties to Electeds Now Act," or the BURDEN Act, is a short but punchy piece of legislation that changes the rules for how Members of Congress get their health insurance. Essentially, it links a Member’s ability to keep their coverage under the Federal Employees Health Benefits Program (FEHB)—the standard federal employee plan—to their monthly compliance with work requirements typically applied to people receiving public assistance.
The Fine Print: Work Requirements for Health Coverage
Starting immediately after this bill becomes law, any Member of Congress who wants to keep their federal health plan has to send the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) two specific signed letters every single month. This isn't just a one-time form; it’s a recurring, monthly administrative hurdle that could mean the difference between having health insurance and not having it. If they miss a month, they risk losing their coverage.
Condition 1: Proving 'Community Engagement'
The first certification requires the Member to prove they have met "community engagement" standards. The bill specifically references Section 1902(xx)(2) of the Social Security Act—a section that defines the activities required for certain adults to maintain Medicaid eligibility in states that implement work requirements. This means Members would need to document activities like working, volunteering, job searching, or attending school, just as if they were a beneficiary subject to those rules. For the average Member of Congress, who already has a full-time job, this is less about the work itself and more about the tedious monthly documentation required to prove it.
Condition 2: SNAP Compliance Check
The second hurdle is even more specific: Members must certify that they have complied with every work requirement applicable under the Food and Nutrition Act of 2008, which governs the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP, or food stamps). Imagine the complexity here. SNAP requirements are designed for low-income households and often involve specific rules about asset limits, income, and job training. A Member of Congress, who is highly compensated, would have to certify compliance with rules that were never meant to apply to them, effectively forcing them to navigate the administrative maze designed for those in deep financial need just to keep their own benefits.
Who Carries the Load?
This bill creates a significant administrative burden, and not just for the Members themselves. OPM staff would suddenly be responsible for processing and tracking these monthly certifications for hundreds of Members of Congress, using standards borrowed from entirely different federal benefit programs. For Members, the risk is high: fail to file the right paperwork on time, or get tripped up on the vague definition of "community engagement," and they could lose their essential health coverage. It’s a classic case of applying complex, means-tested rules to a population they were never intended for, creating high stakes for simple administrative failure.