SB 264 — Step-therapy Protocols
Last action — Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
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✓Introduced
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2In Committee
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3Passed Senate
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4Passed House
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5To Executive
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6Enacted
This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
This bill is no longer active — its legislative session has ended, so there is no live prognosis. It would have to be reintroduced in the current session to move again.
Summary
Step-therapy Protocols; Defining the term “serious mental illness”; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to approve drug products for Medicaid recipients for the treatment of serious mental illness without step-therapy prior authorization under certain circumstances; directing the agency to include rate impacts resulting from the act in certain rates that become effective on a specified date, etc.
Bill Text
- Introduced S 264 Filed Current pdf
AI-generated reading aid from the bill's amendatory text — verify against the official bill.
The bill establishes a definition for 'serious mental illness' and requires the Agency for Health Care Administration to approve certain drugs for Medicaid recipients without prior authorization for those illnesses.
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409.901
(27) “Serious mental illness” means any of the following psychiatric disorders as defined by the American Psychiatric Association in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition: (a) Bipolar disorders, including hypomanic, manic, depressive, and mixed-feature episodes. (b) Depression in childhood or adolescence. (c) Major depressive disorders, including single and recurrent depressive episodes. (d) Obsessive-compulsive disorders. (e) Paranoid personality disorder or other psychotic disorders. (f) Schizoaffective disorders, including bipolar or depressive symptoms. (g) Schizophrenia.
This change defines 'serious mental illness' in Florida law for Medicaid purposes.
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409.912(5)(a)
The agency may mandate prior authorization, drug therapy management, or disease management participation for certain populations of Medicaid beneficiaries, certain drug classes, or particular drugs to prevent fraud, abuse, overuse, and possible dangerous drug interactions.→ The agency may mandate prior authorization, drug therapy management, or disease management participation for certain populations of Medicaid beneficiaries, certain drug classes, or particular drugs to prevent fraud, abuse, overuse, and possible dangerous drug interactions; except that the agency shall approve drug products for the treatment of serious mental illness without prior authorization under circumstances established by rule.This change allows for certain drugs used to treat serious mental illness to bypass the prior authorization requirement.
Action History
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Died in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
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Indefinitely postponed and withdrawn from consideration
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Introduced
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Now in Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services
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Favorable by Health Policy; YEAS 9 NAYS 0
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On Committee agenda-- Health Policy, 02/18/25, 1:45 pm, 412 Knott Building
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Referred to Health Policy; Appropriations Committee on Health and Human Services; Fiscal Policy
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Filed
Sponsors
- Gayle Harrell · Primary
Sponsorship breakdown
Export CSV (upgrade) →1 sponsors · 0 co-sponsors · 163 not signed on
Sponsors (1)
- Harrell, Gayle Republican
Co-sponsors (0)
None.
Not signed on (163)
163 members have not signed on to this bill.
Show all 163 →"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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Democrat | 3 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Republican | 6 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| Total | 9 | 0 | 0 | 1 |
| % of votes cast | 90% | 0% | 0% | 10% |
How each member voted (10)
| Member | Party | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| Berman, Lori | Democrat | Yea |
| Davis, Tracie | Democrat | Yea |
| Osgood, Rosalind | Democrat | Yea |
| Burton, Colleen | Republican | Yea |
| Calatayud, Alexis | Republican | Not Voting |
| Gaetz, Don | Republican | Yea |
| Harrell, Gayle | Republican | Yea |
| Leek, Thomas J. "Tom" | Republican | Yea |
| Passidomo, Kathleen | Republican | Yea |
| Trumbull, Jay | Republican | Yea |
Subjects
Frequently asked questions
- What does SB 264 do?
- Step-therapy Protocols; Defining the term “serious mental illness”; requiring the Agency for Health Care Administration to approve drug products for Medicaid recipients for the treatment of serious mental illness without step-therapy prior authorization under certain circumstances; directing the agency to include rate impacts resulting from the act in certain rates that become effective on a specified date, etc.
- Who sponsors SB 264?
- SB 264 is sponsored by Harrell, Gayle (Republican).
- What is the current status of SB 264?
- This bill died with 2025 Regular Session. It reached “In Committee” and never advanced before the session ended, so it can no longer move — a new version would have to be reintroduced in the current session.
- Where can I track SB 264?
- Track SB 264 free on One Click Politics — get push/email alerts when it moves.
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Last checked for changes 2 months ago · updated continuously
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