The Virginia House of Delegates passed legislation Tuesday that will allow Virginians to keep their health plans under the Affordable Care Act. House Bill 1147, sponsored by Delegate Peter Farrell (R-Henrico), passed the House 98 to 0.

“Executive action related to the Affordable Care Act has created a tremendous amount of marketplace uncertainty,” said Delegate Farrell. “It is likely that thousands of Virginians have had their health care plans cancelled under ObamaCare. This legislation puts Virginia in a posture to not be part of that uncertainty. While we cannot control what happens in Washington, I believe we have a responsibility to the people of Virginia to protect them from the fallout of ObamaCare.”

Here is the text of HB1147:

Whereas, in promoting the passage in Congress of the health insurance legislation known as the “Affordable Care Act” (ACA), President Obama repeatedly promised the American people that “if you like your health insurance, you can keep it, period. No one can take it away from you”; and

Whereas, contrary to the President’s promise, thousands of Virginians and millions of Americans have had their health insurance policies cancelled for noncompliance with the ACA; and

Whereas, in reaction to the outrage of the millions of Americans who have lost their health insurance coverage, President Obama has repeatedly refused to enforce provisions of his own law and urged state insurance regulators to ignore state laws such as Virginia’s that were passed to comply with the federal health insurance law; and

Whereas, since President Obama has urged states to ignore certain provisions of both federal and state laws that have caused millions to lose their health insurance, and to fulfill President Obama’s promise that Americans can keep their health insurance if they like it, it is appropriate to enact legislation allowing Virginians to keep health insurance policies that were in effect prior to the effective date of requirements of the ACA; now, therefore,

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1. § 1. That notwithstanding any other provision of Virginia law, insurance companies shall be allowed to continue [ to ] offer health insurance plans in all product markets that were in effect at any time during 2012 and 2013.