Employee Benefits

The Institute endorsed the SIMPLE Cafeteria Plan Act of 2005 (S. 723), a bill that would allow small businesses to provide nontaxable benefits, such as flexible spending accounts, to their employees ( http://thomas.loc.gov ) as large companies and government agencies now do. In addition, the proposed legislation would allow cafeteria plans, which permit employees to customize their benefits, to offer long-term-care insurance, and it would simplify and expand dependent care accounts. Introduced by Sen. Olympia J. Snowe (R-Maine), the bipartisan bill was co-sponsored by Sens. Jeff Bingaman (D-N.M.) and Christopher S. Bond (R-Mo.).