# Arkansas HB1620: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS; AND TO REGULATE PROCESSING AND PAYMENT OF PHARMACY CLAIMS. Arkansas HB1620, TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS; AND TO REGULATE PROCESSING AND PAYMENT OF PHARMACY CLAIMS., is a 2025 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Zack Gramlich (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican); status enacted, last action 2025-03-20 (Notification that HB1620 is now Act 350) (as of 2026-10-19). - Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1620-2025 - As of: 2026-10-19 - Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts. ## Facts - Bill: Arkansas HB1620 - State: Arkansas - Session: 2025 Regular Session - Title: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS; AND TO REGULATE PROCESSING AND PAYMENT OF PHARMACY CLAIMS. - Status: enacted - Chamber: House - Introduced: 2025-02-27 - Last action: 2025-03-20, Notification that HB1620 is now Act 350 - Sponsors: Zack Gramlich (Republican), Kim Hammer (Republican) - Cosponsors: 0 - Touches household money: no - Roll calls: 2 (129 yes, 0 no in all) - Economic provisions PRIA read: 5 ## Summary No summary available. ## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read - Protection against pharmacy benefit manager retaliation: benefit, low. Pharmacy benefits managers cannot punish a person, pharmacy, or provider for exercising a legal right to bring a case. This protection applies to rights under federal or state law that are not already covered by the clean-claim section. - Faster payments and late fees for pharmacies: benefit, low. Beginning January 1, 2026, pharmacy benefits managers must pay clean electronic claims 7–14 days after receipt and other clean claims within 30 days. A clean claim has no defects or needed corrections. Electronic claims count as received when transferred. Paper claims count as received on the fifth… - Medicaid pharmacy audits gain stronger protections: benefit, low. Arkansas Medicaid must follow the state's Pharmacy Audit Bill of Rights when auditing pharmacy claims. Vendors and contractors hired to conduct those audits must follow the same protections for pharmacies and pharmacists. The law defines audits broadly, including financial, performance, and compute… - Drugmakers face new coupon payment duties: mixed, low. Drugmakers using outside companies to process prescription coupons must hold an active wholesale distributor permit. They must remain in good standing with the Arkansas State Board of Pharmacy and ensure processors follow pharmacy payment rules. If a processor leaves a clean-claim payment complaint… - More pharmacy managers covered, clearer contract rules: mixed, low. The law covers more businesses as pharmacy benefits managers, including claims, drug, and device services for health benefit plans. Certain coupon and discount-card processors, plus partly or wholly owned or controlled subsidiaries, are included. Exclusions cover Arkansas-licensed health facilities… ## Sponsors and cosponsors - Sponsor: Zack Gramlich (Republican), House - Sponsor: Kim Hammer (Republican), Senate ## Roll call votes | Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other | | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | | 2025-03-17 | Senate | Senate Vote - Monday, March 17, 2025 4:04:35 PM | pass | 34 | 0 | | | 2025-03-06 | House | House Vote - Thursday, March 6, 2025 2:22:40 PM | pass | 95 | 0 | | ## Actions (13) - 2025-03-20: Notification that HB1620 is now Act 350 (House) - 2025-03-18: Correctly enrolled and ordered transmitted to the Governor's Office. (House) - 2025-03-17: TO BE ENROLLED (House) - 2025-03-17: Returned from the Senate as passed. (House) - 2025-03-17: Returned to the House as passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-17: Read the third time and passed. (Senate) - 2025-03-13: Returned by the Committee, with the recommendation that it Do Pass (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Read first time, rules suspended, read second time, referred to INSURANCE & COMMERCE - SENATE (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Received from the House. (Senate) - 2025-03-06: Read the third time and passed and ordered transmitted to the Senate. (House) - 2025-03-05: Returned by the Committee Do Pass (House) - 2025-02-27: Read the first time, rules suspended, read the second time and referred to the Committee on INSURANCE & COMMERCE- HOUSE (House) - 2025-02-27: Filed (House) ## Bill text - HB1620 - Introduced, 2025-02-27: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1620.pdf) - Act Version: [PDF](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=350.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related bills - HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025-2026 FISCAL YEAR. (enacted) - HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO SET PENALTIES FOR A VIOLATION OF THE PROHIBITION OF SOLICITATION OF INJURED INDIV… (failed) - HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS. (failed) - SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE USE OF ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS; AND TO REGULATE ALKALINE HYDROLYSIS FACILITIES. (failed) - HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO ALLOW A MUNICIPALITY TO PETITION TO SET ASIDE THE SALE OF PROPERTY TO CERTAIN P… (failed) - HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL ASSEMBLY; TO REQUIRE THAT A MEMBER OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES BE SELECTED A… (failed) ## Sources - [HB1620 - Introduced (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Home/FTPDocument?path=%2FBills%2F2025R%2FPublic%2FHB1620.pdf) - [Act Version (PDF)](https://www.arkleg.state.ar.us/Acts/FTPDocument?path=%2FACTS%2F2025R%2FPublic%2F&file=350.pdf&ddBienniumSession=2025%2F2025R) ## Related - [HB1265: AN ACT FOR THE UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT LITTLE ROCK APPROPRIATION FOR THE 2025…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1265-2025) - [HB1237: TO PROHIBIT MEDICAL PROFESSIONALS FROM SOLICITING INJURED INDIVIDUALS; AND TO S…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1237-2025) - [HB1686: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING LICENSES TO CARRY CONCEALED HANDGUNS.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1686-2025) - [SB440: TO AMEND THE LAW CONCERNING EMBALMERS AND FUNERAL DIRECTORS; TO REGULATE THE US…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-SB440-2025) - [HB1695: TO CLARIFY THE FORECLOSURE PROCESS FOR PROPERTY SUBJECT TO A MUNICIPAL LIEN; TO…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1695-2025) - [HR1012: TO AMEND THE RULES OF THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE NINETY-FIFTH GENERAL…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HR1012-2025) - [Arkansas bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas/bills) - [Arkansas state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/arkansas) - [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills) Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/AR-HB1620-2025 (as of 2026-10-19).