---
type: "Bill"
title: "Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71."
description: "Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71."
jurisdiction: "us/states/tn"
legislature: "Tennessee General Assembly"
session: "114"
identifier: "HB 1198"
citation: "Tennessee HB 1198 (114)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Drugs", "Prescription"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Kumar"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 25
vote_count: 5
first_action: "2025-02-06"
last_action: "2025-04-28"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/cf2c3791-070f-4744-bc47-0bc640a13c9c"
source_url: "https://wapp.capitol.tn.gov/apps/BillInfo/Default?BillNumber=HB1198&ga=114"
source_hash: "b568d9f58d08aee2d46e562d2cb0c11f02753ff3935c8721f941dcb9221af4c2"
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-tn"]
---

# Tennessee HB 1198 (114) — Drugs, Prescription - As enacted, adds mandating the use of biosimilar drugs as a cost-saving measure the bureau of TennCare may implement; adds that a health carrier, health benefit plan, or utilization review organization may require a patient to try a biosimilar product prior to providing coverage for the equivalent branded prescription drug; requires the TennCare pharmacy advisory committee to consider as a factor the use of biosimilar drugs in the committee's recommendation to the bureau of TennCare on any drugs to be added to the state preferred drug list. - Amends TCA Title 4; Title 53; Title 56; Title 68 and Title 71.

## Version chain

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

1. **Amendment HA0140** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/HA0140.pdf)
2. **Amendment SA0236** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Amend/SA0236.pdf)
3. **Current Version** (committee substitute) — [source](https://capitol.tn.gov/Bills/114/Bill/HB1198.pdf)

## Votes

- INSURANCE SUBCOMMITTEE: Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee 3/12/2025 Passed (3) — **6–0** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE CALENDAR & RULES COMMITTEE: H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025 3/27/2025 (2) — **0–0** (fail) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: REGULAR CALENDAR AS AMENDED PASSAGE ON THIRD CONSIDERATION 3/31/2025 Passed (1) — **92–1** (pass) · lower
- HOUSE INSURANCE COMMITTEE: Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee 3/19/2025 Passed — **15–0** (pass) · lower
- FLOOR VOTE: Third Consideration 3/31/2025 Passed (1) — **30–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Kumar — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2025-02-06** Filed for introduction `filing`
- **2025-02-10** Intro., P1C. `introduction`
- **2025-02-12** Assigned to s/c Insurance Subcommittee `referral-committee`
- **2025-02-12** P2C, ref. to Insurance Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-05** Placed on s/c cal Insurance Subcommittee for 3/12/2025
- **2025-03-12** Placed on cal. Insurance Committee for 3/19/2025
- **2025-03-12** Rec for pass if am by s/c ref. to Insurance Committee `referral-committee`
- **2025-03-19** Rec. for pass. if am., ref. to Calendar & Rules Committee `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2025-03-26** Placed on cal. Calendar & Rules Committee for 3/27/2025
- **2025-03-27** H. Placed on Regular Calendar for 3/31/2025
- **2025-03-31** Passed Senate, Ayes 30, Nays 0 `passage`
- **2025-03-31** Amendment withdrawn. (Amendment 1 - SA0236)
- **2025-03-31** Senate substituted House Bill for companion Senate Bill. `substitution`
- **2025-03-31** Received from House, Passed on First Consideration `introduction`
- **2025-03-31** Engrossed; ready for transmission to Sen. `receipt`
- **2025-03-31** Passed H., as am., Ayes 92, Nays 1, PNV 0 `passage`
- **2025-03-31** Sponsor(s) Added. `sponsorship`
- **2025-03-31** H. adopted am. (Amendment 1 - HA0140) `amendment-passage`
- **2025-04-02** Signed by H. Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-02** Enrolled; ready for sig. of H. Speaker. `enrolled`
- **2025-04-03** Transmitted to Governor for his action. `executive-receipt`
- **2025-04-03** Signed by Senate Speaker `passage`
- **2025-04-11** Signed by Governor. `executive-signature`
- **2025-04-28** Effective date(s) 04/11/2025
- **2025-04-28** Pub. Ch. 206

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/cf2c3791-070f-4744-bc47-0bc640a13c9c`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Tennessee legislature records).