---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to patient access to pharmacy benefits."
description: "Create new sections of Subtitle 17A of KRS Chapter 304 to define terms for pharmacy-related insurance practices; require insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and other pharmacy benefits administrators to establish reasonably adequate and accessible pharmacy networks; require the filing of an annual report; require the insurance commissioner to review pharmacy networks; provide that information and data acquired by the Department of Insurance shall be considered proprietary and not subject to disclosure under KRS 61.870 to 61.884 relating to open records; establish requirements for certain contracts between a pharmacy or pharmacist and an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager, or any other pharmacy benefits administrator; establish prohibited conduct and requirements for certain pharmacy-related insurance practices; establish a complaint process for insureds, pharmacies, and pharmacists impacted by a violation of certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; create a new section of Subtitle 99 of KRS Chapter 304 to authorize the insurance commissioner to order reimbursement to persons who incurred a monetary loss as a result of a violation of certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; amend KRS 304.9-053 to require certain filings; amend KRS 304.9-054 to establish requirements for pharmacy benefit manager licensure; amend KRS 304.9-055 to permit the insurance commissioner to promulgate administrative regulations relating to pharmacy benefit managers; amend KRS 304.14-120 to require the insurance commissioner to review certain health plans; amend KRS 304.17A-712 to conform; amend KRS 304.17C-125 to apply certain pharmacy-related insurance laws to limited health service benefit plans, including limited health service contracts; amend KRS 304.38A-115 to apply certain pharmacy-related insurance laws to limited health service organizations; create a new section of KRS Chapter 18A to require the state employee health plan and state agencies to comply with certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; amend KRS 367.828 to establish certain requirements for health discount plans relating to prescription drugs; make technical corrections; repeal KRS 304.38A-120, relating to assignment of certain benefits under limited health service organization plans, to consolidate provisions; apply various sections to contracts issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025; require the insurance commissioner to promulgate administrative regulations to implement this Act on or before January 1, 2025; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2025."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2024RS"
identifier: "SB 188"
citation: "Kentucky SB 188 (2024RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Actuarial Analysis", "Administrative Regulations and Proceedings", "Consumer Affairs", "Drugs and Medicines", "Effective Dates", "Delayed", "Federal Laws and Regulations", "Insurance", "Health", "Local Mandate", "Pharmacists", "Reports Mandated", "State Employees", "Technical Corrections"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["A. Southworth", "B. Storm", "D. Douglas", "D. Yates", "G. Boswell", "G. Elkins", "G. Neal", "J. Higdon", "J. Howell", "K. Berg", "L. Tichenor", "M. Deneen", "M. Wilson", "M. Wise", "P. Wheeler", "R. Girdler", "R. Mills", "R. Thomas", "R. Webb", "S. Funke Frommeyer", "S. Meredith", "S. West"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 27
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2024-02-08T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2024-04-05T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/37badf02-60a5-4368-8c67-536bef287a59"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/24RS/sb188.html"
source_hash: "5c7562bdef26ad4d80eab1748c8ad252748fcfb88cfaa734b3b75724f2c45707"
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-ky"]
---

# Kentucky SB 188 (2024RS) — AN ACT relating to patient access to pharmacy benefits.

Create new sections of Subtitle 17A of KRS Chapter 304 to define terms for pharmacy-related insurance practices; require insurers, pharmacy benefit managers, and other pharmacy benefits administrators to establish reasonably adequate and accessible pharmacy networks; require the filing of an annual report; require the insurance commissioner to review pharmacy networks; provide that information and data acquired by the Department of Insurance shall be considered proprietary and not subject to disclosure under KRS 61.870 to 61.884 relating to open records; establish requirements for certain contracts between a pharmacy or pharmacist and an insurer, a pharmacy benefit manager, or any other pharmacy benefits administrator; establish prohibited conduct and requirements for certain pharmacy-related insurance practices; establish a complaint process for insureds, pharmacies, and pharmacists impacted by a violation of certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; create a new section of Subtitle 99 of KRS Chapter 304 to authorize the insurance commissioner to order reimbursement to persons who incurred a monetary loss as a result of a violation of certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; amend KRS 304.9-053 to require certain filings; amend KRS 304.9-054 to establish requirements for pharmacy benefit manager licensure; amend KRS 304.9-055 to permit the insurance commissioner to promulgate administrative regulations relating to pharmacy benefit managers; amend KRS 304.14-120 to require the insurance commissioner to review certain health plans; amend KRS 304.17A-712 to conform; amend KRS 304.17C-125 to apply certain pharmacy-related insurance laws to limited health service benefit plans, including limited health service contracts; amend KRS 304.38A-115 to apply certain pharmacy-related insurance laws to limited health service organizations; create a new section of KRS Chapter 18A to require the state employee health plan and state agencies to comply with certain pharmacy-related insurance laws; amend KRS 367.828 to establish certain requirements for health discount plans relating to prescription drugs; make technical corrections; repeal KRS 304.38A-120, relating to assignment of certain benefits under limited health service organization plans, to consolidate provisions; apply various sections to contracts issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2025; require the insurance commissioner to promulgate administrative regulations to implement this Act on or before January 1, 2025; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2025.

## Version chain

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

1. **Introduced** (filed) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/sb188/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 104** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/24RS/documents/0104.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/24RS/sb188/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- PASS SB 188 W/ scs1 sfa1 — **pass** (pass) · upper
- Final Passage — **pass** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- A. Southworth — primary (person)
- B. Storm — primary (person)
- D. Douglas — primary (person)
- D. Yates — primary (person)
- G. Boswell — primary (person)
- G. Elkins — primary (person)
- G. Neal — primary (person)
- J. Higdon — primary (person)
- J. Howell — primary (person)
- K. Berg — primary (person)
- L. Tichenor — primary (person)
- M. Deneen — primary (person)
- M. Wilson — primary (person)
- M. Wise — primary (person)
- P. Wheeler — primary (person)
- R. Girdler — primary (person)
- R. Mills — primary (person)
- R. Thomas — primary (person)
- R. Webb — primary (person)
- S. Funke Frommeyer — primary (person)
- S. Meredith — primary (person)
- S. West — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2024-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in Senate `introduction`
- **2024-02-08T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-02-12T05:00:00+00:00** to Banking & Insurance (S) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** taken from Banking & Insurance (S)
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2024-03-06T05:00:00+00:00** returned to Banking & Insurance (S)
- **2024-03-11T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Banking & Insurance (S)
- **2024-03-11T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading `reading-2`
- **2024-03-11T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Banking & Insurance (S)
- **2024-03-14T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, to Rules with Committee Substitute (1) as a consent bill `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-22T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed to Committee Substitute `amendment-introduction`
- **2024-03-25T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, March 26, 2024
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 35-1 with Committee Substitute (1) and Floor Amendment (1) `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** to Banking & Insurance (H) `referral-committee`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** taken from Banking & Insurance (H)
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** 1st reading `reading-1`
- **2024-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** returned to Banking & Insurance (H)
- **2024-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 2nd reading, to Rules `committee-passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** placed in the Orders of the Day
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 97-0 `passage, reading-3`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2024-03-28T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2024-04-05T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 104) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/37badf02-60a5-4368-8c67-536bef287a59`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).