Georgia 2025-2026 Regular Session

Georgia House Bill HR948 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

Old	New	Differences
1	1	25 LC 62 0212
2	2	House Resolution 948
3	3	By: Representatives Stephens of the 164
4	4	th
5	5	, Kelley of the 16
6	6	th
7	7	, Hawkins of the 27
8	8	th
9	9	, Buckner
10	10	of the 137
11	11	th
12	12	, and Newton of the 127
13	13	th
14	14
15	15	A RESOLUTION
16	16	Creating the House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access
17	17	1
18	18	to Prescription Medications; and for other purposes.2
19	19	WHEREAS, according to the United States Office of Health Policy, the cost of prescription3
20	20	drugs has increased at rates exceeding the rate of inflation each year since 2016; and4
21	21	WHEREAS, pharmacy benefits managers administer prescription drug insurance benefits,5
22	22	negotiate with drug manufacturers and pharmacies, and establish drug formularies and6
23	23	pharmacy networks; and7
24	24	WHEREAS, pharmacy benefits managers undertake practices that have been criticized and8
25	25	investigated by industry stakeholders, including health policy experts, state attorneys general,9
26	26	and the Federal Trade Commission; and10
27	27	WHEREAS, such policies include leveraging vertical integration to steer patients to11
28	28	pharmacy benefits manager affiliate pharmacies, marking up the cost of medications at12
29	29	pharmacy benefits manager owned pharmacies, manipulating pharmacy reimbursement rates,13
30	30	and engaging in other unfair practices that harm patients, retail pharmacies, payers, and14
31	31	employers; and15
32	32	H. R. 948
33	33	- 1 - 25 LC 62 0212
34	34	WHEREAS, in 2019, Georgia passed the first pharmacy benefits manager steering laws in
35	35	16
36	36	the nation but many believe that pharmacy benefits managers continue to steer patients to17
37	37	pharmacy benefits manager affiliate pharmacies within this state; and18
38	38	WHEREAS, Georgia law requires that pharmacy benefits managers publicly report drug19
39	39	prices that are greater than 10 percent over the national average drug acquisition costs and20
40	40	such reports have revealed markups for some medications for commercial and government21
41	41	payers and markups of thousands of percent above the national average drug acquisition22
42	42	costs for medications used to treat multiple sclerosis, cancer, and kidney disease, among23
43	43	other medications; and24
44	44	WHEREAS, a recent study by the Georgia Center for Rural Prosperity and Innovation at25
45	45	Abraham Baldwin Agricultural College indicates that pharmacy benefits manager practices26
46	46	pose risks to patients and independent pharmacies, including increasing the number of27
47	47	counties in Georgia without a single pharmacy.28
48	48	NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES:29
49	49	(1) Creation of House study committee. There is created the House Study Committee30
50	50	on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications.31
51	51	(2) Members and officers. The committee shall be composed of the following32
52	52	members:33
53	53	(A) The chairperson of the House Committee on Appropriations;34
54	54	(B) The chairperson of the House Committee on Health;35
55	55	(C) Three other members of the House of Representatives or experts on pharmacy36
56	56	benefits managers or consumer access to prescription medication to be appointed by the37
57	57	Speaker of the House of Representatives; and38
58	58	H. R. 948
59	59	- 2 - 25 LC 62 0212
60	60	(D) The Speaker of the House of Representatives shall designate a member of the
61	61	39
62	62	committee as chairperson of the committee.40
63	63	(3) Powers and duties. The committee shall undertake a study of the conditions, needs,41
64	64	issues, and problems mentioned above or related thereto and recommend any action or42
65	65	legislation which the committee deems necessary or appropriate.43
66	66	(4) Meetings. The chairperson shall call all meetings of the committee. The committee44
67	67	may conduct such meetings at such places and at such times as it may deem necessary or45
68	68	convenient to enable it to exercise fully and effectively its powers, perform its duties, and46
69	69	accomplish the objectives and purposes of this resolution.47
70	70	(5) Allowances, expenses, and funding.48
71	71	(A) The legislative members of the committee shall receive the allowances provided49
72	72	for in Code Section 28-1-8 of the Official Code of Georgia Annotated.50
73	73	(B) Members of the committee who are state officials, other than legislative members,51
74	74	or state employees shall receive no compensation for their services on the committee,52
75	75	but they may be reimbursed for expenses incurred by them in the performance of their53
76	76	duties as members of the committee in the same manner as they are reimbursed for54
77	77	expenses in their capacities as state officials or employees.55
78	78	(C) Members of the committee who are not legislators, state officials, or state56
79	79	employees shall receive a daily expense allowance in an amount the same as that57
80	80	specified in subsection (b) of Code Section 45-7-21 of the Official Code of Georgia58
81	81	Annotated, as well as the mileage or transportation allowance authorized for state59
82	82	employees.60
83	83	(D) The allowances authorized by this resolution shall not be received by any member61
84	84	of the committee for more than five days unless additional days are authorized. Funds62
85	85	necessary to carry out the provisions of this resolution shall come from funds63
86	86	appropriated to the House of Representatives; except that funds for the reimbursement64
87	87	of the expenses of state officials, other than legislative members, and for the65
88	88	H. R. 948
89	89	- 3 - 25 LC 62 0212
90	90	reimbursement of the expenses of state employees shall come from funds appropriated
91	91	66
92	92	to or otherwise available to their respective agencies.67
93	93	(6) Report.68
94	94	(A) In the event the committee adopts any specific findings or recommendations that69
95	95	include suggestions for proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file a report of the70
96	96	same prior to the date of abolishment specified in this resolution, subject to71
97	97	subparagraph (C) of this paragraph.72
98	98	(B) In the event the committee adopts a report that does not include suggestions for73
99	99	proposed legislation, the chairperson shall file the report, subject to subparagraph (C)74
100	100	of this paragraph.75
101	101	(C) No report shall be filed unless the same has been approved prior to the date of76
102	102	abolishment specified in this resolution by majority vote of a quorum of the committee.77
103	103	A report so approved shall be signed by the chairperson of the committee and filed with78
104	104	the Clerk of the House of Representatives.79
105	105	(D) In the absence of an approved report, the chairperson may file with the Clerk of the80
106	106	House of Representatives a copy of the minutes of the meetings of the committee in lieu81
107	107	thereof.82
108	108	(7) Abolishment. The committee shall stand abolished on December 1, 2025.83
109	109	H. R. 948
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