The House voted to approve the establishment of the Alabama Veterans Resource Center, providing support for over 400,000 veterans in Alabama. The bill now heads to Governor Kay Ivey’s desk for her signature.
The House has introduced a series of bills addressing illegal immigration, and they will begin moving through the committee process next week. BCA is working with bill sponsors and members of the business community to ensure protection for Alabama’s businesses and workers.
The Senate Banking and Insurance Committee held a public hearing on two bills, SB93 and SB99, that would deal a devastating blow to businesses across Alabama. If passed in their current form, these bills would impose a $10.64 fee on every single prescription filled in the state. That’s not just a small bump in the road – that’s a massive new cost burden on your business, your employees, and ultimately, your customers.
While supporters of the bills claim that Pharmacy Benefit Managers (PBMs) will absorb the fee, we know that higher costs never just disappear. They inevitably get passed down the line, and businesses will be forced to shoulder these costs – which means employees and consumers will pay the price.
This is fundamentally bad for business. It’s a dangerous precedent that undermines the economic health of Alabama’s employers and workers alike. BCA testified at the hearing, strongly opposing these bills in their current form, emphasizing that shifting the financial strain onto businesses and employees is not only wrong but also harmful to the economic stability of the state.
We are committed to working on better, more sustainable solutions that don’t saddle Alabama’s businesses with unnecessary and crippling costs. We urge you to contact your senator in opposition to SB93 and SB99.
Find your Alabama State Senator
This week, BCA President and CEO Helena Duncan sat down with Senate Pro Tem Garlan Gudger to discuss his first few weeks in the Senate’s top leadership role. They talked about his background as a small business owner and how he plans to use his experience to guide his leadership in the upper chamber.
We are excited to have House Speaker Nathaniel Ledbetter join us on Tuesday, February 25, at 9:00 a.m. on the first floor of the BCA office (2 N Jackson Street). We hope to see you there!
Bill: SB22
Sponsor: Sen. Merika Coleman
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Passed Senate; pending action in House Ways and Means Education Committee
Additional Information: This bill as amended further provides for the recapture of incentives for a company who is found guilty of human trafficking.
Bill: SB84
Sponsor: Sen. Arthur Orr
BCA Position: Opposed as introduced*
Status: Pending action in Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Additional Information: This bill would allow a nonprofit agricultural organization to provide health benefits to its members and their families. Under current law, all health plans are regulated under the Department of Insurance. This legislation would exempt this plan from all insurance laws and regulations without any oversight. The proposed bill explicitly authorizes a nonprofit agricultural organization to provide such benefits while maintaining that they are not in the business of health insurance.
Bill: SB93
Sponsor: Sen. Andrew Jones
BCA Position: Opposed as Introduced*
Status: Pending action in Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Additional Information: This bill would prohibit pharmacy benefit managers from reimbursing a pharmacy less than the actual acquisition cost paid by the pharmacy and would prohibit pharmacy benefits managers from charging pharmacies or pharmacists miscellaneous fees related to network participation and claims processing.
Bill: SB99
Sponsor: Sen. Larry Stutts
BCA Position: Opposed as Introduced*
Status: Pending action in Senate Banking and Insurance Committee
Additional Information: This bill would expand oversight by the Department of Insurance by setting benchmarks for the amounts that pharmacy benefits managers reimburse pharmacies, and by regulating how they process claims, determine payment amounts, and use manufacturer rebates.
Bill: HB291
Sponsor: Rep. Neil Rafferty
BCA Position: Monitor
Status: Pending action in House Committee on Commerce and Small Business
Additional Information: This bill would repeal the Alabama Uniform Minimum Wage and Right-to-Work Act.
* BCA has concerns with these bills as introduced, as they would lead to increased costs for employers and their employees.
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