HOUSE BILL 1198
By Kumar
SENATE BILL 436
By Reeves
SB0436
001713
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AN ACT to amend Tennessee Code Annotated, Title 4;
Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71, relative to
biosimilar medicine.
WHEREAS, the legislature finds that increasing access to biosimilar medicines has the
potential to significantly reduce prescription drug costs; and
WHEREAS, biosimilar medicines are approved according to the same federal food and
drug administration (FDA) standards of pharmaceutical quality, safety, and efficacy as the FDA's
reference medicines; and
WHEREAS, it is the intent of the legislature to eliminate barriers impeding access to
biosimilar medicines and the savings biosimilar medicines can provide; now, therefore,
BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF TENNESSEE:
SECTION 1. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 4-3-1013(e), is amended by adding
the language "or biosimilars" at the end of the subsection.
SECTION 2. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 56-7-3502(f)(1), is amended by
deleting the subdivision and substituting:
(1) A health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization from
requiring a patient to try an AB-rated generic equivalent product, interchangeable
biological product, or biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent
branded prescription drug;
SECTION 3. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-198(c), is amended by adding
the language "or biosimilars" at the end of the subsection.
SECTION 4. Tennessee Code Annotated, Section 71-5-2404(a), is amended by
deleting the language "including, but not limited to, efficacy, the use of generic drugs and
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therapeutic equivalent drugs, and cost information related to each drug" and substituting
"including efficacy; the use of generic drugs, biosimilars, and therapeutic equivalent drugs; and
cost information related to each drug".
SECTION 5. This act takes effect upon becoming a law, the public welfare requiring it.