HB 856 — Advanced, metastatic cancer; delete repealer on prohibition against health plans requiring step therapy before covering certain drugs to treat.
Last action — 03/16 Approved by Governor
-
✓Introduced
-
✓In Committee
-
✓Passed House
-
✓Passed Senate
-
✓To Executive
-
6Enacted
This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2026. Enacted.
Signed by Governor Tate Reeves (Republican) on March 09, 2026.
Prognosis
Where this bill stands today.
Odds of enactment
HighHow often bills like it became law.
-
Enacted
Current position in the legislative process.
-
1 sponsor
1 primary, 0 co-sponsors signed on.
-
Single-party support
Sponsorship is currently within one party (1 R).
-
Cleared a recorded vote
Passed 2 recorded votes so far.
Prognosis reads this bill's own signals — stage, sponsorship breadth, committee status, recorded votes and cross-state momentum. Odds come from a model trained on which bills have become law.
Summary
AN ACT TO REENACT SECTION 83-9-8.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROHIBITS A HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN FROM REQUIRING STEP THERAPY OR FAIL-FIRST PROTOCOLS BEFORE THE PLAN PROVIDES COVERAGE OF CERTAIN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TO TREAT ADVANCED, METASTATIC CANCER AND ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS; TO REENACT SECTION 83-9-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PRESCRIBES THE PROCESS BY WHICH A PRESCRIBING PRACTITIONER MAY REQUEST AN OVERRIDE OF AN INSURER'S RESTRICTION ON MEDICATION FOR USE BY A STEP THERAPY OR FAIL-FIRST PROTOCOL; TO AMEND SECTION 3, CHAPTER 379, LAWS OF 2024, TO DELETE THE REPEALER ON SECTIONS 83-9-8.1 AND 83-9-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
Bill Text
- Text View text Current pdf
AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.
This bill reenacts provisions prohibiting health benefit plans from requiring step therapy for drugs treating advanced metastatic cancer and sets up a process for requesting overrides of medication restrictions.
-
Section 83-9-8.1
83-9-8.1. (1) As used in this section, the following terms shall be defined as provided in this subsection: ...
This section is reenacted to continue protecting patients from step therapy requirements for certain cancer treatments.
-
Section 83-9-36
83-9-36. (1) When medications for the treatment of any medical condition are restricted for use by an insurer by a step therapy or fail-first protocol, the prescribing practitioner shall have access to a clear and convenient process to expeditiously request an override of that restriction from the insurer. ...
This section is reenacted to ensure there is a process for practitioners to request overrides of insurer medication restrictions.
-
Chapter 379, Laws of 2024
the repealer on sections 83-9-8.1 and 83-9-36This amendment removes the repealing clause to keep the protections afforded by sections 83-9-8.1 and 83-9-36 in force.
Action History
-
03/16 Approved by Governor
-
03/09 (S) Enrolled Bill Signed
-
03/06 (H) Enrolled Bill Signed
-
03/05 (S) Returned For Enrolling
-
03/04 (S) Passed
-
02/26 (S) Title Suff Do Pass
-
02/13 (S) Referred To Insurance
-
02/05 (H) Transmitted To Senate
-
02/04 (H) Passed
-
01/28 (H) Title Suff Do Pass
-
01/16 (H) Referred To Public Health and Human Services
Sponsors
- Kevin Felsher · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 174 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Kevin Felsher Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (174)
174 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 174 →"Not signed on" means a member has not sponsored or co-sponsored this bill — it does not imply opposition. Members flagged Voted No have a recorded No vote on this bill.
Votes
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Unaffiliated | 13 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Republican | 27 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 11 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 51 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 98% | 0% | 0% | 2% |
How each member voted (52)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Barnett | — | Yea |
| Blackmon | — | Yea |
| Blackwell | — | Yea |
| Boyd | — | Yea |
| Gillespie Isom | — | Yea |
| Jackson | — | Yea |
| Johnson | — | Yea |
| Ladner | — | Yea |
| Simmons D. T. (12th) | — | Yea |
| Simmons S. (13th) | — | Yea |
| Taylor | — | Yea |
| Turner-Ford | — | Yea |
| Williams | — | Yea |
| Thompson | — | Not Voting |
| Albert Butler | Democrat | Yea |
| David Blount | Democrat | Yea |
| Gary Brumfield | Democrat | Yea |
| Hillman Terome Frazier | Democrat | Yea |
| Hob Bryan | Democrat | Yea |
| Johnny DuPree | Democrat | Yea |
| Joseph Thomas | Democrat | Yea |
| Justin Pope | Democrat | Yea |
| Kamesha Mumford | Democrat | Yea |
| Rod Hickman | Democrat | Yea |
| Sollie B. Norwood | Democrat | Yea |
| Andy Berry | Republican | Yea |
| Angela Burks Hill | Republican | Yea |
| Benjamin Suber | Republican | Yea |
| Brian Rhodes | Republican | Yea |
| Brice Wiggins | Republican | Yea |
| Briggs Hopson | Republican | Yea |
| Chad McMahan | Republican | Yea |
| Chuck Younger | Republican | Yea |
| Daniel H. Sparks | Republican | Yea |
| Dean Kirby | Republican | Yea |
| Dennis DeBar, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| Don Hartness | Republican | Yea |
| J. Walter Michel | Republican | Yea |
| Jason Barrett | Republican | Yea |
| Jeff Tate | Republican | Yea |
| Jeremy England | Republican | Yea |
| Joel R. Carter, Jr. | Republican | Yea |
| Joey Fillingane | Republican | Yea |
| Joseph M. Seymour | Republican | Yea |
| Josh Harkins | Republican | Yea |
| Kathy L. Chism | Republican | Yea |
| Lydia Graves Chassaniol | Republican | Yea |
| Michael McLendon | Republican | Yea |
| Neil S. Whaley | Republican | Yea |
| Rita Potts Parks | Republican | Yea |
| Scott DeLano | Republican | Yea |
| Tyler McCaughn | Republican | Yea |
| Party | Yea | Nay | Present | Not Voting |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Republican | 67 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Unaffiliated | 26 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Democrat | 28 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Independent | 2 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Total | 123 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| % of votes cast | 100% | 0% | 0% | 0% |
How each member voted (123)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Anderson (110th) | — | Yea |
| Anderson (122nd) | — | Yea |
| Bailey (23rd) | — | Yea |
| Bailey (49th) | — | Yea |
| Barnett | — | Yea |
| Bell (21st) | — | Yea |
| Bell (65th) | — | Yea |
| Blackmon | — | Yea |
| Blackwell | — | Yea |
| Boyd (19th) | — | Yea |
| Boyd (37th) | — | Yea |
| Washington | — | Yea |
| Ford (54th) | — | Yea |
| Ford (73rd) | — | Yea |
| Gibbs (36th) | — | Yea |
| Gibbs (72nd) | — | Yea |
| Holloway (27th) | — | Yea |
| Holloway (76th) | — | Yea |
| Jackson (11th) | — | Yea |
| Jackson (45th) | — | Yea |
| Johnson | — | Yea |
| Ladner | — | Yea |
| Taylor | — | Yea |
| Thompson | — | Yea |
| Williams | — | Yea |
| Mr. Speaker | — | Yea |
| Albert Butler | Democrat | Yea |
| Bo Brown | Democrat | Yea |
| Bob Evans | Democrat | Yea |
| Bryant W. Clark | Democrat | Yea |
| Carl Mickens | Democrat | Yea |
| Cedric Burnett | Democrat | Yea |
| Daryl Porter | Democrat | Yea |
| Earle S. Banks | Democrat | Yea |
| Fabian Nelson | Democrat | Yea |
| Gregory Elliott | Democrat | Yea |
| Hester Jackson McCray | Democrat | Yea |
| Jeffery Harness | Democrat | Yea |
| Jeffrey Hulum III | Democrat | Yea |
| John G. Faulkner | Democrat | Yea |
| John W. Hines, Sr. | Democrat | Yea |
| Justin Crosby | Democrat | Yea |
| Kabir Karriem | Democrat | Yea |
| Omeria Scott | Democrat | Yea |
| Oscar Denton | Democrat | Yea |
| Otis Anthony | Democrat | Yea |
| Percy W. Watson | Democrat | Yea |
| Robert L. Sanders | Democrat | Yea |
| Ronnie C. Crudup | Democrat | Yea |
| Solomon C. Osborne | Democrat | Yea |
| Stephanie Foster | Democrat | Yea |
| Timaka James-Jones | Democrat | Yea |
| Tracey T. Rosebud | Democrat | Yea |
| Zakiya Summers | Democrat | Yea |
| Angela Cockerham | Independent | Yea |
| Shanda Yates | Independent | Yea |
| Becky Currie | Republican | Yea |
| Beth Luther Waldo | Republican | Yea |
| Bill Kinkade | Republican | Yea |
| Bill Pigott | Republican | Yea |
| Billy Adam Calvert | Republican | Yea |
| Brad Mattox | Republican | Yea |
| Brent Powell | Republican | Yea |
| C. Scott Bounds | Republican | Yea |
| Carolyn Crawford | Republican | Yea |
| Casey Eure | Republican | Yea |
| Celeste Hurst | Republican | Yea |
| Clay Deweese | Republican | Yea |
| Clay Mansell | Republican | Yea |
| Dan Eubanks | Republican | Yea |
| Dana McLean | Republican | Yea |
| Donnie Scoggin | Republican | Yea |
| Elliot Burch | Republican | Yea |
| Fred Shanks | Republican | Yea |
| Gene Newman | Republican | Yea |
| Greg Haney | Republican | Yea |
| Henry Zuber III | Republican | Yea |
| Jansen Owen | Republican | Yea |
| Jay McKnight | Republican | Yea |
| Jeff Hale | Republican | Yea |
| Jeffrey S. Guice | Republican | Yea |
| Jerry R. Turner | Republican | Yea |
| Jim Estrada | Republican | Yea |
| Jimmy Fondren | Republican | Yea |
| Jody Steverson | Republican | Yea |
| Joey Hood | Republican | Yea |
| John Read | Republican | Yea |
| John Thomas "Trey" Lamar, III | Republican | Yea |
| Jonathan McMillan | Republican | Yea |
| Joseph Tubb | Republican | Yea |
| Josh Hawkins | Republican | Yea |
| Justin Keen | Republican | Yea |
| Karl Oliver | Republican | Yea |
| Ken Morgan | Republican | Yea |
| Kent McCarty | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Felsher | Republican | Yea |
| Kevin Horan | Republican | Yea |
| Kimberly Remak | Republican | Yea |
| Lance Varner | Republican | Yea |
| Larry Byrd | Republican | Yea |
| Lee Yancey | Republican | Yea |
| Lester Carpenter | Republican | Yea |
| Manly Barton | Republican | Yea |
| Mark Tullos | Republican | Yea |
| Missy McGee | Republican | Yea |
| Noah Sanford | Republican | Yea |
| Price Wallace | Republican | Yea |
| Randy Rushing | Republican | Yea |
| Richard Bennett | Republican | Yea |
| Rob Roberson | Republican | Yea |
| Rodney Hall | Republican | Yea |
| Sam C. Mims, V | Republican | Yea |
| Sam Creekmore IV | Republican | Yea |
| Shane Aguirre | Republican | Yea |
| Stacey Hobgood-Wilkes | Republican | Yea |
| Stephen A. Horne | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Lott | Republican | Yea |
| Steve Massengill | Republican | Yea |
| Troy Smith | Republican | Yea |
| Vince Mangold | Republican | Yea |
| W.I. "Doc" Harris | Republican | Yea |
| William Tracy Arnold | Republican | Yea |
| Zachary Grady | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does HB 856 do?
- AN ACT TO REENACT SECTION 83-9-8.1, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PROHIBITS A HEALTH BENEFIT PLAN FROM REQUIRING STEP THERAPY OR FAIL-FIRST PROTOCOLS BEFORE THE PLAN PROVIDES COVERAGE OF CERTAIN PRESCRIPTION DRUGS TO TREAT ADVANCED, METASTATIC CANCER AND ASSOCIATED CONDITIONS; TO REENACT SECTION 83-9-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972, WHICH PRESCRIBES THE PROCESS BY WHICH A PRESCRIBING PRACTITIONER MAY REQUEST AN OVERRIDE OF AN INSURER'S RESTRICTION ON MEDICATION FOR USE BY A STEP THERAPY OR FAIL-FIRST PROTOCOL; TO AMEND SECTION 3, CHAPTER 379, LAWS OF 2024, TO DELETE THE REPEALER ON SECTIONS 83-9-8.1 AND 83-9-36, MISSISSIPPI CODE OF 1972; AND FOR RELATED PURPOSES.
- Who sponsors HB 856?
- HB 856 is sponsored by Kevin Felsher (Republican).
- What is the current status of HB 856?
- This bill has been enacted into law. Introduced January 16, 2026. Enacted.
- Where can I track HB 856?
- Track HB 856 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
Make your voice heard on HB 856
Find the representatives who decide this bill and tell them where you stand — for yourself, or mobilize your whole list in one click with One Click Politics advocacy software.
Stay ahead of HB 856
Last checked for changes 3 months ago · updated continuously
One Click Politics tracks every bill in Congress and all 50 states.
Track this bill →