A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services of the Department of Health and Human Services relating to "Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program".

Overview

• Type: Joint Resolution
• Congress: 119th (2026)
• Purpose: To disapprove a specific CMS rule under the congressional disapproval process (the “Congressional Review Act” mechanism found in chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code). The rule targeted is CMS’s guidance relating to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program.
• Status: Introduced in the Senate on June 17, 2026; referred to the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No further action listed in the provided text.

Main Purpose and Intent

• The bill seeks to nullify (disapprove) the CMS rule titled “Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act, HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters for 2027; and Basic Health Program.”
• If enacted, the rule would have no force or effect; Congress would override CMS’s rulemaking on those 2027 benefit and payment parameters and the Basic Health Program provisions.

Key Provisions and Changes

• Declares Congress’s disapproval of the CMS rule published at 91 Fed. Reg. 29526 (May 20, 2026).
• States that, upon passage, the rule “shall have no force or effect.”
• This action is taken under the congressional disapproval mechanism defined in chapter 8 of title 5, U.S. Code (the Congressional Review Act).

Affected Parties and Provisions

• Federal rulemaking: CMS (Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services) and HHS (Department of Health and Human Services) are the administering agencies whose rule is targeted.
• Specifically affects:
  • The 2027 HHS Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters
  • Provisions related to the Basic Health Program
• Beneficiaries, insurers, and health plans subject to the 2027 benefit design, premium subsidies, cost-sharing, and related payment parameters may be affected indirectly, since the disapproval prevents the CMS rule from taking effect.

Procedural and Timeline Aspects

• Route: Joint resolution under the Congressional Review Act (CRA). If passed by both chambers and signed by the President (or overridden veto), the rule would be invalidated.
• Current stage (as of the provided text): Introduction in the Senate; referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions. No Senate floor passage or House actions noted in the excerpt.
• Key date referenced in the underlying rule: May 20, 2026, publication in the Federal Register (the rule being disapproved).
• No explicit timeline for consideration in the bill text beyond standard CRA procedure.

Practical Implications

• Policy impact: The bill would prevent the 2027 benefit and payment parameters rule from taking effect, preserving the status quo or prompting CMS to issue a new rule or revert to prior parameters via alternative processes.
• Downstream effects: Insurers and consumers who rely on the upcoming 2027 parameters for premium subsidies, cost-sharing reductions, and Basic Health Program provisions would not implement those parameters as proposed in the disapproved rule.
• Regulatory certainty: The disapproval creates immediate regulatory uncertainty for entities planning for 2027 under the proposed CMS rule; CMS would need to respond with guidance or a new rule.

Summary

SJRES 197 is a Congressional Review Act joint resolution aimed at nullifying CMS’s 2027 Notice of Benefit and Payment Parameters and Basic Health Program rule. If enacted, the rule would have no force or effect, effectively blocking its implementation and necessitating alternative regulatory action by CMS/HHS. The bill has been introduced and referred to committee, with no further legislative steps shown in the provided materials.