42 U.S.C. § 300bb: State and local governmental group health plans must provide continuation coverage to certain individuals

In accordance with regulations which the Secretary shall prescribe, each group health plan that is maintained by any State that receives funds under this chapter, by any political subdivision of such a State, or by any agency or instrumentality of such a State or political subdivision, shall provide, in accordance with this subchapter, that each qualified beneficiary who would lose coverage under the plan as a result of a qualifying event is entitled, under the plan, to elect, within the election period, continuation coverage under the plan. any group health plan for any calendar year if all employers maintaining such plan normally employed fewer than 20 employees on a typical business day during the preceding calendar year, or any group health plan maintained for employees by the government of the District of Columbia or any territory or possession of the United States or any agency or instrumentality. The amendments made by this section [enacting this subchapter] shall apply to plan years beginning on or after July 1, 1986 . the date on which the last of the collective bargaining agreements relating to the plan terminates (determined without regard to any extension thereof agreed to after the date of the enactment of this Act), or January 1, 1987 .