---
type: "Bill"
title: "Prohibit Carrier From Requiring Alternative Drug"
description: "The bill prohibits a carrier from requiring a covered person to undergo step therapy:"
jurisdiction: "us/states/co"
legislature: "Colorado General Assembly"
session: "2017A"
identifier: "SB 17-203"
citation: "Colorado SB 17-203 (2017A)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Chris Kennedy", "Nancy Todd", "Phil Covarrubias"]
version_count: 11
action_count: 20
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2017-02-28T07:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2017-06-02T06:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/bcdce21d-f2d8-40cc-aea4-10a1420f9cfd"
source_url: "http://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb17-203"
source_hash: "01172104ea194e595ce9f4f9acc27ffb6a3b75b15cf5b7fa7bf2bf1c04d2d632"
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-co"]
---

# Colorado SB 17-203 (2017A) — Prohibit Carrier From Requiring Alternative Drug

The bill prohibits a carrier from requiring a covered person to undergo step therapy:

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment L.019** (committee substitute) — [source](http://coga.prod.acquia-sites.com/sites/default/files/html-attachments/h_hie_2017a_20170411t110244z0__hearing_summary/170411%20AttachB.pdf)
2. **Committee Amendment** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017a/bills/cr/2017A_SB203_H_HIE_001.pdf)
3. **Engrossed (03/21/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_eng.pdf)
4. **Final Act (05/18/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_enr.pdf)
5. **Introduced (02/28/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_01.pdf)
6. **PA1 (03/16/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203sblt_01.pdf)
7. **PA2 (04/12/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203hie_01.pdf)
8. **Reengrossed (03/22/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_ren.pdf)
9. **Rerevised (04/18/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_rer.pdf)
10. **Revised (04/13/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_rev.pdf)
11. **Signed Act (06/02/2017)** (committee substitute) — [source](http://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2017A/bills/2017a_203_signed.pdf)

## Votes

- Adopt amendment L.013. The motion passed on a vote of 5-2. — **5–2** (pass) · legislature
- Adopt amendment L.019 (Attachment B) to Senate Bill 17-203. The motion passed on a vote of 8-3. — **8–3** (pass) · legislature
- Refer Senate Bill 17-203, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 7-0. — **7–0** (pass) · legislature
- Refer Senate Bill 17-203, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole. The motion passed on a vote of 8-3. — **8–3** (pass) · legislature

## Sponsors

- Chris Kennedy — primary (person)
- Nancy Todd — primary (person)
- Phil Covarrubias — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-06-02T06:00:00+00:00** Governor Signed `executive-signature`
- **2017-05-18T06:00:00+00:00** Sent to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2017-05-18T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the Speaker of the House
- **2017-05-18T06:00:00+00:00** Signed by the President of the Senate
- **2017-04-27T06:00:00+00:00** House Considered Senate Adherence - Result was to Recede
- **2017-04-25T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Adhere
- **2017-04-24T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2017-04-21T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2017-04-20T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2017-04-19T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Laid Over Daily
- **2017-04-18T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `reading-3, passage`
- **2017-04-17T06:00:00+00:00** House Third Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2017-04-13T06:00:00+00:00** House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
- **2017-04-11T06:00:00+00:00** House Committee on Health, Insurance, & Environment Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole `referral-committee, committee-passage`
- **2017-03-23T06:00:00+00:00** Introduced In House - Assigned to Health, Insurance, & Environment `introduction`
- **2017-03-22T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments `reading-3, passage`
- **2017-03-21T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Passed with Amendments - Committee, Floor `reading-2`
- **2017-03-20T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Second Reading Laid Over Daily - No Amendments
- **2017-03-15T06:00:00+00:00** Senate Committee on Business, Labor, & Technology Refer Amended to Senate Committee of the Whole `referral-committee, committee-passage`
- **2017-02-28T07:00:00+00:00** Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Business, Labor, & Technology `introduction`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/bcdce21d-f2d8-40cc-aea4-10a1420f9cfd`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Colorado legislature records).