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Committee advances bill allowing insurers to include non‑opioid drugs on state preferred drug list; sponsor says option, not requirement
Summary
The Calendar and Rules Committee placed House Bill 0037 on Monday’s regular calendar after sponsor Rep. Davis said the bill would allow — but not require — insurers to include non‑opioid prescriptions on the state preferred drug list for state employees. Representative Clemons expressed concern about granting insurers unilateral authority.
The Calendar and Rules Committee advanced House Bill 0037 to Monday’s regular calendar after a brief explanation from the bill’s sponsor and a question from a committee member.
Representative Davis, sponsor of House Bill 0037, told the committee, “What this bill does is it allows for any of those non opioid prescriptions to be included on that PDL list. It's not a require it's not that they're required that they have to choose that. It gives them the option to make sure that the patients are aware of it, that the pharmacist and the prescribers are aware of it. And if it's something that the doctor and the patient agree upon that works better for that patient, they're able to use that. And so those state employees, it'll fall under that program, that state employee.” The committee then voted to place the bill on the Monday regular calendar.
Representative Clemons questioned the bill’s delegation of authority to insurers. “Given an insurer the opportunity to adopt or amend a state PDL is is concerning, to me,” Clemons said. “So I I don't I appreciate what you're trying to do. I I just giving insurers that unilateral authority to do that is is concerning.”
Madam Chair Lady Moody called the question after the brief exchange; members moved, seconded and recorded a voice vote placing the bill on Monday’s regular calendar. The record does not show a recorded roll‑call tally or the names of the motion’s mover and seconder in the transcript excerpt.
The sponsor described the measure as creating an optional pathway for insurers to add non‑opioid alternatives to the preferred drug list (PDL) used in the state employee plan, with the aim of ensuring prescribers, pharmacists and patients are aware of those alternatives and may select them when clinically appropriate. The bill text and any implementing rules were not read in the excerpt provided, and no legal citations or statutory references were cited during the discussion.
Next steps: the committee advanced the bill to the House calendar for further consideration. No committee amendment or final floor action was recorded in the excerpt.
