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House Ways and Means Chairman Kevin Brady announced plans to expand health savings accounts (HSAs) via a standalone bill, apart from the Tax Reform 2.0 effort.

The new HSA legislation will build off on changes passed by the House last year, allowing HSA funds to be used to purchase over-the-counter medicine. The package may include policies to expand Consumer Directed Health Plans and raise contribution limits.

Brady’s decision to move the HSA bill separately may signal a more bipartisan approach. Though, during last week’s health subcommittee hearings, several Democrats expressed skepticism that expanding HSAs would help drive down healthcare costs for consumers.

On April 17, Acting IRS Commissioner David Kautter said the agency would continue to enforce the Affordable Care Act’s (ACA) employer mandate. At a House Oversight Subcommittee hearing, Kautter explained that it is still the law, and the agency is therefore required to implement it. The IRS has sent nearly 10,000 enforcement letters since last fall, though a majority of these cases have been resolved without companies paying anything, after negotiations with the agency.

Several Republicans have argued that President Trump’s executive order directing federal agencies to take all actions consistent with the law to minimize the economic and regulatory burdens of the ACA includes ceasing to enforce the mandate.

Democrats and the IRS maintain that, absent repeal, there is a constitutional obligation to enforce the mandate.

On Feb. 22, the IRS issued final rules to define which entities are required to pay the health insurance providers fee under the Affordable Care Act (ACA), also known as the health insurance tax (HIT). The ACA imposed an annual fee on certain health insurance providers beginning in 2014. Congress temporarily suspended the HIT until 2020.

The final regulations (T.D. 9830) adopt the proposed version without any changes. The IRS initially published temporary and proposed regulations in Feb. 2015. The rules will continue to allow certain entities, such as nonprofits or employers with self-insured plans, to be exempt from the tax.

Critics of the HIT continue to advocate for its permanent repeal, noting that it increases premiums for consumers. Given that the tax faces bipartisan opposition, it may be a prime candidate for further postponement or repeal.