Kansas 2025-2026 Regular Session

Kansas Senate Bill SB20

Introduced
1/16/25  
Refer
1/17/25  
Report Pass
2/3/25  
Engrossed
2/19/25  
Refer
2/19/25  
Report Pass
2/27/25  
Enrolled
4/9/26  

Caption

Enacting the Kansas consumer prescription protection and accountability act and providing for regulation and registration of pharmacy benefits managers.

Impact

The bill's enactment significantly impacts how pharmacy benefits are managed in Kansas, effectively requiring PBMs to operate under a new licensing regime. It empowers the Kansas insurance commissioner to impose penalties for non-compliance with the act's provisions, thereby reinforcing the oversight functions of the state over pharmacy benefit operations. This regulatory framework aims to limit negative practices while ensuring that pharmacies are compensated fairly for their services.

Summary

Senate Bill No. 20 introduces the Kansas Consumer Prescription Protection and Accountability Act, which establishes regulatory frameworks for pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) and auditing entities. The bill aims to enhance transparency within the prescription drug distribution system by instituting procedures that require PBMs to keep audit information confidential yet share pertinent findings with relevant parties. Additionally, the bill mandates that audits be conducted with due notice and allows pharmacies to respond to audit reports, thereby safeguarding pharmacy operations from arbitrary penalization.

Sentiment

The sentiment around SB20 appears to be mixed, with various stakeholders expressing differing opinions. Supporters believe the legislation is essential for curbing exploitative practices by PBMs, ensuring fair treatment of pharmacies, and protecting consumers from inflated costs. Conversely, some opponents have raised concerns about the potential burden of increased regulations on PBMs, arguing that it could lead to higher costs or reduced access to medications for consumers.

Contention

Notable points of contention involve the auditing process and the requirements placed upon PBMs. Many stakeholders are particularly focused on how audits will be executed and the scope of penalties for non-compliance. The bill delineates specific audit protocols, which have generated some debate about the balance between thorough oversight and the operational viability of pharmacies, especially smaller ones. This ongoing discussion underscores the challenges in balancing regulation and efficiency within the pharmacy benefits management landscape.

Companion Bills

No companion bills found.

Previously Filed As

KS HB2002

Expanding medical assistance eligibility and enacting the cutting healthcare costs for all Kansans act.

KS SB1

Modifying income tax rates for individuals, exempting all social security benefits from Kansas income tax, increasing the Kansas standard deduction and the Kansas personal exemption, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, decreasing the privilege tax normal tax, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value for property tax valuation purposes, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund and abolishing the local ad valorem tax reduction fund and the county and city revenue sharing fund.

KS SB2

Eliminating the income limit to qualify for the subtraction modification exempting social security benefits, increasing the income tax credit amount for household and dependent care expenses, establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, citing the increased property tax homestead refund claim section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, decreasing the normal privilege tax rate, increasing the extent of property tax exemption for residential property from the statewide school levy, decreasing the rate of ad valorem tax imposed by a school district; providing for certain transfers to the state school district finance fund, reducing the state rate of tax on sales of food and food ingredients and modifying the percent credited to the state highway fund from revenue collected.

KS HB2001

Authorizing the secretary of commerce to enter into agreements with major professional sports franchises to establish STAR bond projects for a major professional sports complex, providing for additional revenue sources, expanding the powers and discretion of the secretary and making other changes to the STAR bonds financing act to facilitate such projects, limiting the secretary’s authority to approve such projects to one year unless extended by the legislative coordinating council, authorizing the Kansas development finance authority to issue STAR bonds for such projects, transferring funds under certain circumstances from the state gaming revenues fund to the attracting professional sports to Kansas fund for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2025, and, if approved by the legislative coordinating council, for the fiscal year ending June 30, 2026.

KS HB2003

Establishing the veterans' valor property tax relief act providing for an income tax credit or refund for eligible individuals, modifying the definition of household income and increasing the appraised value threshold for eligibility of seniors and disabled veterans related to increased property tax claims and citing the section as the homeowners' property tax freeze program, providing property tax exemptions for certain personal property including watercraft, marine equipment, off-road vehicles, motorized bicycles and certain trailers, excluding internal revenue code section 1031 exchange transactions as indicators of fair market value, providing for certain exclusions from the prohibition of paying taxes under protest after a valuation notice appeal and providing four prior years' values on the annual valuation notice.

KS SB6

Providing a sales tax exemption for sales of electricity to residential premises by municipally owned or operated utilities.

KS SB8

Exempting the sale of firearms, firearms accessories, ammunition, firearm safes and firearm safety devices from the retatilers' sales tax.

KS SB7

Authorizing federally licensed firearm dealers, in addition to county sheriffs, to receive applications for concealed carry licenses and forward such applications to the attorney general, prohibiting sheriffs from assessing any fee related to application services and allowing dealers to assess a fee related to application services not to exceed $20.

KS SCR1602

Approving the creation of a port authority in Wyandotte County Kansas.

KS SCR1604

Proposing to amend section 1 of article 11 of the constitution of the state of Kansas to limit property tax valuation increases for real property and personal property mobile homes.

Similar Bills

KS HB2551

Enacting the Kansas pharmacy services administrative organization act.

MS HB1125

Pharmacy services; prohibit insurers and PBMs from requiring persons to obtain exclusively through pharmacies that they own.

MS HB558

Pharmacy services; prohibit insurers and PBMs from requiring persons to obtain exclusively through pharmacies that they own.

AR SB593

To Amend The Arkansas Pharmacy Benefits Manager Licensure Act; And To Create The Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization Act.

NJ S2345

"Patient and Provider Protection Act."

AR SB475

To Establish The Pharmacy Services Administrative Organization Act; And To Regulate Pharmacy Services Administrative Organizations.

MS HB1119

Pharmacy benefit managers; revise provisions related to.

MS SB2677

Pharmacy Benefit Prompt Pay Act; define requirements for pharmacy benefit managers and pharmacy services administrative organizations.