LB 198 Legislature · 109th Legislature (2025-2026)

Change provisions of the Pharmacy Benefit Manager Licensure and Regulation Act

LB 198 amends Nebraska's Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) regulations to directly affect specialty pharmacies, pharmacists, and PBMs. It prohibits PBMs from excluding accredited specialty pharmacies from their networks and bans "spread pricing" (where PBMs charge health plans different prices than they pay pharmacies for drugs). The bill also allows network pharmacists to decline to dispense a drug as prescribed and updates definitions for terms like "clinician-administered drugs" and "specialty pharmacy." These changes aim to increase transparency, protect pharmacy access, and clarify PBM obligations under state law.
Bill status signed all 5 stages cleared
Introduction
Jan 2025
Committee Review
Apr 2025
Legislature Passage
May 2025
Legislature Passage
May 2025
Signed into Law
May 2025
Introduced Jan 14, 2025 Signed May 21, 2025
Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

Introduced Enrollment and Review ER76 · 5 edits
MODERATE
The bill was amended during the Enrollment and Review committee to change its scope from amending four sections to amending three sections, removing the reference to section 44-4608. The amendment also changed the bill's purpose to include provisions about specialty pharmacies, clinician-administered drugs, network pharmacies, and retail pharmacies, while removing the original definition of 'spread pricing' and replacing it with a new focus on authorizing network or network pharmacists to decline providing prescribed drugs. These changes reflect a shift in regulatory focus from spread pricing concerns to network pharmacy participation rights.
Scope change
The bill's scope was narrowed from amending four sections to amending three sections, and the substantive focus shifted from spread pricing regulation to network pharmacy participation and specialty drug provisions.
SCOPE

Changed the bill to amend sections 44-4601, 44-4603, and 44-4610 instead of the original four sections, removing 44-4608 from the amendment list.

REQUIREMENT

Replaced the original spread pricing prohibition with new provisions authorizing network pharmacies or network pharmacists to decline to provide prescribed drugs.

Added provisions relating to specialty pharmacies and clinician-administered drugs to the bill's purpose.

Added provisions relating to retail pharmacies to the bill's purpose.

Changed the bill's purpose to prohibit health benefit plans, health carriers, and pharmacy benefit managers from taking certain actions.

Floor votes · Legislature May 1, 2025

How they voted

390
Passed · 10 other
Total votes 49
May 1, 2025
N Nonpartisan49
39 Yea 10
79% Yea
Vote distribution
All Yea All Nay Mixed No data
Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions
23
Key actions
7
Committee
2
Amendments
1
Jun 6, 2025
Introduced
Provisions/portions of LB109 amended into LB198 by AM1201
legislature
May 21, 2025
Signed into law
Approved by Governor on May 20, 2025
executive
May 14, 2025
Legislature · Passed
President/Speaker signed
legislature
May 14, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Passed on Final Reading 49-0-0
legislature
May 8, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Enrollment and Review ER76 adopted
legislature
May 1, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Banking, Commerce and Insurance AM1201 adopted
legislature
May 1, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Jacobson AM1229 adopted
legislature
Apr 29, 2025
Legislature · Passed
Placed on General File with AM1201
legislature
Jan 16, 2025
Committee
Referred to Banking, Commerce and Insurance Committee
legislature
Jan 14, 2025
Introduced
Date of introduction
legislature
1 primary · 2 co-sponsors

Sponsors