HR948: HR948 House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications; create

Pharmacy benefits managers (PBMs) are companies that administer prescription drug coverage, negotiate with drug makers and pharmacies, and set which drugs insurance will cover. This resolution notes that drug prices have risen faster than inflation and that PBMs have faced criticism for steering patients to pharmacies they own, marking up drug costs, and manipulating pharmacy reimbursement rates, practices some say have contributed to counties in Georgia losing their only pharmacy. The resolution creates the House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications. It sets the committee's membership, meeting process, and reimbursement rules, and directs it to study these issues and recommend legislation if needed. The committee must file any approved report before it is abolished on December 1, 2026.

• Creates the House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications to examine PBM practices.
• Sets the committee's membership: the chairs of the House Appropriations and Health committees, three more appointees chosen by the Speaker, and a chairperson designated by the Speaker.
• Directs the committee to study PBM related problems and recommend any legislation or action it deems necessary.
• Establishes daily expense allowances and mileage reimbursement for legislative and non-legislative committee members, capped at five days unless extended.
• Requires any approved findings or recommendations to be filed as a report with the Clerk of the House before the committee is abolished.
• Abolishes the committee automatically on December 1, 2026.

The resolution directly affects members of the House Appropriations and Health committees, Speaker-appointed legislators or experts on pharmacy issues, and indirectly touches pharmacy benefits managers, independent and PBM-affiliated pharmacies, and Georgia patients who rely on prescription drug coverage.

The committee's work could shape future legislation on how pharmacy benefits managers set drug prices and steer patients to certain pharmacies, an issue tied to rising drug costs and the loss of pharmacies in some Georgia counties, though the resolution itself makes no binding policy changes.

• Paragraph 1 creates the House Study Committee on Pharmacy Benefits Managers and Consumer Access to Prescription Medications.
• Paragraph 2 sets membership: the Appropriations and Health committee chairs, three Speaker-appointed members or experts, and a Speaker-designated chairperson.
• Paragraph 3 charges the committee with studying PBM related issues and recommending action or legislation.
• Paragraph 5 details expense allowances, including a five-day cap on reimbursements unless additional days are authorized and funding from House appropriations.
• Paragraph 6 requires any approved report or, absent one, meeting minutes to be filed with the Clerk of the House before abolishment.
• Paragraph 7 abolishes the committee on December 1, 2026.

1. 2026-03-09House Passed/Adopted By Substitute (House)
2. 2026-03-09House Third Readers (House)
3. 2026-02-19House Committee Favorably Reported By Substitute (House)
4. 2026-01-12House Second Readers (House)
5. 2025-04-04House First Readers (House)
6. 2025-04-02House Hopper (House)

• Ron Stephens (R, HD-164)Primary sponsor
• Trey Kelley (R, HD-016)
• Lee Hawkins (R, HD-027)
• Debbie Buckner (D, HD-137)
• Mark Newton (R, HD-127)

1. PassedHouse voteMarch 9, 2026

   157 yea, 0 nay (3 not voting, 17 absent)

   Adopt: House Vote #691

• pharmacy benefits managers
• prescription drug costs
• health policy
• independent pharmacies
• legislative study committee