# 119-hr-6837: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers are considered fiduciaries, and for other purposes.

119-hr-6837, To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers are considered fiduciaries, and for other purposes., is a 119th Congress bill sponsored by Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4] (D-MA); status introduced; PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-11).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6837
- As of: 2026-10-11
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: 119-hr-6837
- Congress: 119
- Title: To amend the Employee Retirement Income Security Act of 1974 to ensure that pharmacy benefit managers are considered fiduciaries, and for other purposes.
- Status: introduced
- Introduced: 2025-12-18
- Sponsor: Rep. Auchincloss, Jake [D-MA-4] (D-MA)
- Cosponsors: 2
- Policy area: Health
- Touches household money: yes
- Last recorded action: 2026-10-11

## Summary

**Would treat pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) as ERISA fiduciaries** when they create formularies, negotiate rebates, process drug claims, or run utilization management. It would also require new compensation disclosures by PBMs and third-party administrators and bar indemnifying those fiduciaries for breaches. - Workers and plan participants would get clearer information about how PBMs and administrators are paid and how drug networks and formularies are set. This adds transparency about compensation tied to prescription drug services. - Employers and plan sponsors would face clearer rules on which vendors are legal fiduciaries for their group health plans. Contracts that try to indemnify PBMs deemed fiduciaries for breaches would be void. - PBMs and third-party administrators would have to disclose expected direct and indirect compensation related to running pharmacy networks, buying drugs, processing claims, and negotiating reimbursements. A PBM that sponsors its own employee plan could be treated as that plan's responsible fiduciary. Changes would apply to plan years beginning at least 12 months after enactment.

## Cosponsors (2)

- Rep. Thanedar, Shri [D-MI-13] (D-MI), 2026-10-09T00:00:00.000Z
- Rep. Mackenzie, Ryan [R-PA-7] (R-PA), 2025-12-18T00:00:00.000Z

## Provisions PRIA read

- PBMs must disclose fees and rebates: benefit, low. This bill would expand ERISA disclosure rules to require PBMs and similar service providers to report expected direct and indirect compensation. It would specifically cover running drug networks and formularies, buying drugs, claims processing, provider network setup, and negotiating reimbursement…
- Pharmacy managers treated as fiduciaries: mixed, medium. This bill would treat pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) and similar vendors as ERISA fiduciaries for employer group health plans in defined situations. It would apply when they run a drug network or formulary, buy drugs, negotiate rebates or discounts, process drug claims, or perform drug utilizatio…
- Limits on PBM liability and roles: mixed, low. This bill would bar indemnifying any person deemed a fiduciary under the new PBM rule for ERISA duties. It would make contract terms that try to indemnify those fiduciaries void, with one listed exception. The bill would also say covered service providers generally cannot be the responsible plan fi…

## Related bills

- 119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026
- 119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act
- 119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025
- 119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025
- 119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act
- 119-hr-5106: Restore Trust in Congress Act

## Sources
- [119-hr-6837 on Congress.gov](https://www.congress.gov/bill/119th-congress/house-bill/6837)

## Related
- [119-hr-9877: Health Equity and Accountability Act of 2026](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-9877)
- [119-hr-7973: Momnibus Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-7973)
- [119-hr-4393: DIGNIDAD (Dignity) Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-4393)
- [119-hr-3151: SHIPS for America Act of 2025](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-3151)
- [119-hr-1262: Mikaela Naylon Give Kids a Chance Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-1262)
- [119-hr-5106: Restore Trust in Congress Act](https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-5106)
- [All bills in Congress](https://policyrisk.com/legislation)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/legislation/119-hr-6837 (as of 2026-10-11).