republic-os/legislation/us/states/ky/2026rs/hb-176.md

---
type: "Bill"
title: "AN ACT relating to prior authorization."
description: "Create new sections of KRS 304.17A-600 to 304.17A-633 to define terms; prohibit insurers of health benefit plans from requiring prior authorization for a health care service for which the provider has an exemption; require insurers of health benefit plans to establish a program under which participating providers may qualify for exemptions from prior authorization; establish mandatory and permitted provisions of an insurer's prior authorization exemption program; establish requirements for sending forms and notices; require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 304.17A-605 to conform; amend KRS 304.17A-611 to prohibit conducting a retrospective review that is based solely on a participating provider having a prior authorization exemption; provide that certain utilization review time frames do not apply to retrospective reviews conducted for the purposes of determining eligibility for a prior authorization exemption; create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 205.536 to conform; apply the provisions to contracts delivered, entered, renewed, extended, or amended on or after January 1, 2028; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028."
jurisdiction: "us/states/ky"
legislature: "Kentucky General Assembly"
session: "2026RS"
identifier: "HB 176"
citation: "Kentucky HB 176 (2026RS)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Actuarial Analysis", "Administrative Regulations And Proceedings", "Effective Dates", "Delayed", "Health And Medical Services", "Health Benefit Plan Mandate", "Insurance", "Health", "Local Mandate", "Medicaid", "Reports Mandated", "State Agencies", "State Employee Health Plan Mandate", "State Employees"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["B. Chester-Burton", "B. McCool", "C. Aull", "D. Grossberg", "K. Moser", "R. Duvall", "S. Stalker"]
version_count: 3
action_count: 23
vote_count: 2
first_action: "2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2026-04-13T04:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/5f79524c-7da3-429c-b263-f7dd71242db5"
source_url: "https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/record/26RS/hb176.html"
source_hash: "2a980a676f6c8a047296b2cf983a92a28545631e3a11b2619e3c7d5ec20eec04"
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 HB 176 (2026RS) — AN ACT relating to prior authorization.

Create new sections of KRS 304.17A-600 to 304.17A-633 to define terms; prohibit insurers of health benefit plans from requiring prior authorization for a health care service for which the provider has an exemption; require insurers of health benefit plans to establish a program under which participating providers may qualify for exemptions from prior authorization; establish mandatory and permitted provisions of an insurer's prior authorization exemption program; establish requirements for sending forms and notices; require the commissioner of the Department of Insurance to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 304.17A-605 to conform; amend KRS 304.17A-611 to prohibit conducting a retrospective review that is based solely on a participating provider having a prior authorization exemption; provide that certain utilization review time frames do not apply to retrospective reviews conducted for the purposes of determining eligibility for a prior authorization exemption; create a new section of KRS Chapter 205 to require the commissioner of the Department for Medicaid Services to submit an annual report relating to prior authorization, provide a detailed briefing upon request, and promulgate administrative regulations; amend KRS 205.536 to conform; apply the provisions to contracts delivered, entered, renewed, extended, or amended on or after January 1, 2028; EFFECTIVE, in part, January 1, 2027, and January 1, 2028.

## 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/26RS/hb176/orig_bill.pdf)
2. **Acts Chapter 102** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/law/acts/26RS/documents/0102.pdf)
3. **Current/Final** (committee substitute) — [source](https://apps.legislature.ky.gov/recorddocuments/bill/26RS/hb176/bill.pdf)

## Votes

- Pass — **89–1** (pass) · lower
- PASS HB 176 — **38–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- B. Chester-Burton — primary (person)
- B. McCool — primary (person)
- C. Aull — primary (person)
- D. Grossberg — primary (person)
- K. Moser — primary (person)
- R. Duvall — primary (person)
- S. Stalker — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** introduced in House `introduction`
- **2026-01-07T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-12T05:00:00+00:00** to Banking & Insurance (H) `referral-committee`
- **2026-01-14T05:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-01-15T05:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules `reading-2`
- **2026-01-16T05:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Tuesday, January 20, 2026
- **2026-01-21T05:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading, passed 89-1 `passage, reading-3`
- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** received in Senate
- **2026-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** to Committee on Committees (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-16T04:00:00+00:00** to Health Services (S) `referral-committee`
- **2026-03-18T04:00:00+00:00** reported favorably, 1st reading, to Consent Calendar `committee-passage`
- **2026-03-19T04:00:00+00:00** 2nd reading, to Rules as a consent bill `reading-2`
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** floor amendment (1) filed `amendment-introduction`
- **2026-03-26T04:00:00+00:00** posted for passage in the Regular Orders of the Day for Friday, March 27 2026
- **2026-03-27T04:00:00+00:00** passed over and retained in the Orders of the Day `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** 3rd reading `reading-3`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** Floor Amendment (1) withdrawn
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** passed 38-0 `passage`
- **2026-03-31T04:00:00+00:00** received in House
- **2026-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by Speaker of the House `passage`
- **2026-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** enrolled, signed by President of the Senate `passage`
- **2026-04-01T04:00:00+00:00** delivered to Governor
- **2026-04-13T04:00:00+00:00** signed by Governor (Acts Ch. 102) `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/5f79524c-7da3-429c-b263-f7dd71242db5`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Kentucky legislature records).