---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS (Limits health plans that provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes to forty dollars ($40.00) for a copayment for a thirty (30) day supply of medically necessary insulin. Effective date 1/1/2022.)"
description: "AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS (Limits health plans that provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes to forty dollars ($40.00) for a copayment for a thirty (30) day supply of medically necessary insulin. Effective date 1/1/2022.)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/ri"
legislature: "Rhode Island General Assembly"
session: "2021"
identifier: "HB 5196"
citation: "Rhode Island HB 5196 (2021)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Health Insurance", "Insurance", "Medical", "Prescription drugs"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Azzinaro", "Bennett", "Diaz", "Kennedy", "Morales", "Solomon", "Vella-Wilkinson"]
version_count: 1
action_count: 18
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2021-01-27"
last_action: "2021-07-02"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/9943ecec-ab99-47e6-bcb5-7c77f6a39d4c"
source_url: "https://status.rilegislature.gov/"
source_hash: "5590ba824e01539534616be5f7656171d5b882987222d9eb8992e6ec2c5e3350"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-ri"]
---

# Rhode Island HB 5196 (2021) — AN ACT RELATING TO INSURANCE -- PRESCRIPTION DRUG BENEFITS (Limits health plans that provide coverage for prescription insulin drugs used to treat diabetes to forty dollars ($40.00) for a copayment for a thirty (30) day supply of medically necessary insulin. Effective date 1/1/2022.)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **5196 SUB A as amended** (committee substitute) — [source](http://webserver.rilin.state.ri.us/BillText/BillText21/HouseText21/H5196Aaa.pdf)

## Votes

- AS AMENDED — **71–0** (pass) · lower
- PASSAGE OF AMENDMENT — **72–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- Azzinaro — primary (person)
- Bennett — primary (person)
- Diaz — primary (person)
- Kennedy — primary (person)
- Morales — primary (person)
- Solomon — primary (person)
- Vella-Wilkinson — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2021-01-27** 01/27/2021 Introduced, referred to House H.E.W. `introduction, referral-committee`
- **2021-02-02** 02/02/2021 Committee transferred to House Health & Human Services
- **2021-02-05** 02/05/2021 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/09/2021)
- **2021-02-09** 02/09/2021 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
- **2021-02-12** 02/12/2021 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (02/23/2021)
- **2021-02-23** 02/23/2021 Committee recommended measure be held for further study
- **2021-05-21** 05/21/2021 Scheduled for consideration (05/25/2021)
- **2021-05-21** 05/21/2021 Proposed Substitute
- **2021-05-25** 05/25/2021 Committee recommends passage of Sub A `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-05-28** 05/28/2021 Placed on House Calendar (06/03/2021)
- **2021-06-03** 06/03/2021 House passed Sub A as amended (floor amendment) `passage`
- **2021-06-04** 06/04/2021 Referred to Senate Health and Human Services `referral-committee`
- **2021-06-11** 06/11/2021 Scheduled for hearing and/or consideration (06/17/2021)
- **2021-06-17** 06/17/2021 Committee recommends passage of Sub A as amended in concurrence `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2021-06-25** 06/25/2021 Placed on Senate Calendar (06/29/2021)
- **2021-06-29** 06/29/2021 Senate passed Sub A as amended in concurrence `passage`
- **2021-06-29** 06/29/2021 Transmitted to Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2021-07-02** 07/02/2021 Signed by Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/9943ecec-ab99-47e6-bcb5-7c77f6a39d4c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Rhode Island legislature records).