republic-os/legislation/us/states/va/2026/sb-257.md

type, title, description, jurisdiction, legislature, session, identifier, citation, classification, subjects, status, primary_sponsors, version_count, action_count, vote_count, first_action, last_action, source, source_identifier, source_url, source_hash, vintage, source_snapshot, retrieved_at, confidence, tags

type	title	description	jurisdiction	legislature	session	identifier	citation	classification	subjects	status	primary_sponsors	version_count	action_count	vote_count	first_action	last_action	source	source_identifier	source_url	source_hash	vintage	source_snapshot	retrieved_at	confidence	tags
Bill	Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists.	Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber and ensure that cost-sharing for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal is included on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 795.	us/states/va	Virginia General Assembly	2026	SB 257	Virginia SB 257 (2026)	bill		enacted	Barbara A. Favola	7	44	9	2026-01-12	2026-04-08	openstates	ocd-bill/fbf03eb2-943c-40e4-a21b-ca1ef341d82c	https://lis.virginia.gov/bill-details/20261/SB257	23ec8baf290c4e0096b72d2ee29f11208f6bdb7942b8d23f6cabe47fb396e092	2026-07-01	https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump	2026-07-06	reported	legislation bill us-va

Virginia SB 257 (2026) — Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists.

Health insurance; requirements for certain opioid antagonists. Requires each health insurer, corporation providing health care subscription plans, and health maintenance organization whose policy, contract, or plan includes coverage for prescription drugs to include coverage for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal dispensed pursuant to an oral, written, or standing order of a prescriber and ensure that cost-sharing for at least one opioid antagonist used for overdose reversal is included on the lowest cost tier of the insurer's, corporation's, or health maintenance organization's prescription drug formulary. The bill provides that such coverage shall be exempt from any prior authorization or step therapy requirement on coverage of benefits. As introduced, this bill was a recommendation of the Joint Commission on Health Care. This bill is identical to HB 795.

Version chain

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

1. Introduced (filed) — source
2. Appropriations Substitute (committee substitute) — source
3. Chaptered (committee substitute) — source
4. Commerce and Labor Substitute (committee substitute) — source
5. Labor and Commerce Substitute (committee substitute) — source
6. Subcommittee #1 Subcommittee Substitute (committee substitute) — source
7. Enrolled (enrolled) — source

Votes

• Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute — 21–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Finance and Appropriations — 15–0 (pass) · upper
• Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute — 6–0 (pass) · lower
• H VOTE: — 96–0 (pass) · lower
• Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute — 10–2 (pass) · upper
• Passage R — 37–1 (pass) · upper
• Reported from Appropriations with substitute — 22–0 (pass) · lower
• Concur House Substitute R — 39–1 (pass) · upper
• Constitutional reading dispensed R — 40–0 (pass) · upper

Sponsors

• Barbara A. Favola — primary (person)
• Kannan Srinivasan — cosponsor (person)

Timeline

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

• 2026-01-12 Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26104746D filing, introduction
• 2026-01-12 Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor referral-committee
• 2026-01-23 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB257)
• 2026-02-02 Senate committee offered
• 2026-02-02 Reported from Commerce and Labor with substitute and rereferred to Finance and Appropriations (10-Y 2-N 1-A) committee-passage
• 2026-02-03 Committee substitute printed 26106753D-S1 substitution
• 2026-02-04 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB257)
• 2026-02-11 Reported from Finance and Appropriations (15-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-12 Rules suspended
• 2026-02-12 Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 1st reading) (40-Y 0-N 0-A)
• 2026-02-12 Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote)
• 2026-02-13 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-02-13 Committee substitute agreed to (Voice Vote) substitution
• 2026-02-13 Engrossed by Senate - committee substitute (Voice Vote) substitution
• 2026-02-16 Read third time and passed Senate (37-Y 1-N 0-A) passage, reading-3
• 2026-02-19 Placed on Calendar
• 2026-02-19 Read first time reading-1
• 2026-02-19 Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce referral-committee
• 2026-02-24 House subcommittee offered
• 2026-02-24 Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #1 referral-committee
• 2026-02-24 Subcommittee recommends reporting with substitute and referring to Appropriations (6-Y 0-N) substitution
• 2026-02-26 Reported from Labor and Commerce with substitute and referred to Appropriations (21-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-02-27 Assigned HAPP sub: Health & Human Resources referral-committee
• 2026-02-27 Committee substitute printed 26108572D-H1 substitution
• 2026-03-04 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB257)
• 2026-03-09 Reported from Appropriations with substitute (22-Y 0-N) committee-passage
• 2026-03-09 Committee substitute printed 26109143D-H2 substitution
• 2026-03-10 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB257)
• 2026-03-11 Read second time reading-2
• 2026-03-12 Read third time reading-3
• 2026-03-12 committee substitute rejected
• 2026-03-12 committee substitute agreed to substitution
• 2026-03-12 Engrossed by House - committee substitute substitution
• 2026-03-12 Passed House with substitute (96-Y 0-N 0-A) passage
• 2026-03-12 House substitute agreed to by Senate (39-Y 1-N 0-A) substitution
• 2026-03-30 Enrolled enrolled
• 2026-03-30 Bill text as passed Senate and House (SB257ER) passage
• 2026-03-30 Signed by President passage
• 2026-03-31 Signed by Speaker passage
• 2026-03-31 Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 31, 2026 enrolled, executive-receipt
• 2026-03-31 Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 executive-receipt
• 2026-04-01 Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (SB257)
• 2026-04-08 Approved by Governor-Chapter 424 (effective 7/1/2026) executive-signature
• 2026-04-08 Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0424)

Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot 2026-07-01; origin ocd-bill/fbf03eb2-943c-40e4-a21b-ca1ef341d82c. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Virginia legislature records).