# Mississippi HB 856: Advanced, metastatic cancer; delete repealer on prohibition against health plans requiring step therapy before covering certain drugs to treat.

Mississippi HB 856, Advanced, metastatic cancer; delete repealer on prohibition against health plans requiring step therapy before covering certain drugs to treat., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Kevin Felsher (Republican); status signed, last action 2026-03-16 (Approved by Governor); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-27).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-HB856-2026
- As of: 2026-10-27
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Mississippi HB 856
- State: Mississippi
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Advanced, metastatic cancer; delete repealer on prohibition against health plans requiring step therapy before covering certain drugs to treat.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-16
- Last action: 2026-03-16, Approved by Governor
- Sponsor: Kevin Felsher (Republican)
- Cosponsors: 1
- Subjects: Public Health and Human Services, Insurance
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 2 (173 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 1

## Summary

No summary available.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Cancer patients get faster drug access: benefit, high. Beginning June 30, 2026, plans that cover advanced, metastatic cancer and related conditions cannot make patients try and fail another drug before covering a qualifying treatment. The drug must be FDA-approved, fit recognized best practices, and have support from peer-reviewed, evidence-based resea…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Kevin Felsher (Republican), House
- Cosponsor: Omeria Scott (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed | pass | 51 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-04 | House | Passed | pass | 122 | 0 |   |

## Actions (11)

- 2026-03-16: Approved by Governor (legislature)
- 2026-03-09: Enrolled Bill Signed (Senate)
- 2026-03-06: Enrolled Bill Signed (House)
- 2026-03-05: Returned For Enrolling (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Passed (Senate)
- 2026-02-26: Title Suff Do Pass (Senate)
- 2026-02-13: Referred To Insurance (Senate)
- 2026-02-05: Transmitted To Senate (House)
- 2026-02-04: Passed (House)
- 2026-01-28: Title Suff Do Pass (House)
- 2026-01-16: Referred To Public Health and Human Services (House)

## Bill text

- As Introduced: [HTML](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856IN.htm), [PDF](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856IN.pdf)
- As Passed: [HTML](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856PS.htm), [PDF](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856PS.pdf)
- Enrolled: [HTML](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856SG.htm), [PDF](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856SG.pdf)

## Related bills

- HB 1653: Local Improvements Project Fund and IHL Capital Improvements Fund; revise certain projects funded with monies from. (signed)
- HB 1924: Appropriation; Attorney General. (signed)
- SB 3051: Appropriation; Finance and Administration, Department of. (signed)
- SB 3110: Tax credits; authorize for contributions by certain taxpayers to certain hospitals. (signed)
- SB 2917: Budget; provide for various transfers of funds, and create various special funds. (signed)
- SB 3071: Appropriation; Gulf Coast Restoration Funds to the Mississippi Development Authority. (signed)

## Sources
- [As Introduced (HTML)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856IN.htm)
- [As Introduced (PDF)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856IN.pdf)
- [As Passed (HTML)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856PS.htm)
- [As Passed (PDF)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856PS.pdf)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/html/HB/0800-0899/HB0856SG.htm)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://billstatus.ls.state.ms.us/documents/2026/pdf/HB/0800-0899/HB0856SG.pdf)

## Related
- [HB 1653: Local Improvements Project Fund and IHL Capital Improvements Fund; revise certa…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-HB1653-2026)
- [HB 1924: Appropriation; Attorney General.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-HB1924-2026)
- [SB 3051: Appropriation; Finance and Administration, Department of.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-SB3051-2026)
- [SB 3110: Tax credits; authorize for contributions by certain taxpayers to certain hospit…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-SB3110-2026)
- [SB 2917: Budget; provide for various transfers of funds, and create various special fund…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-SB2917-2026)
- [SB 3071: Appropriation; Gulf Coast Restoration Funds to the Mississippi Development Auth…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-SB3071-2026)
- [Mississippi bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/mississippi/bills)
- [Mississippi state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/mississippi)
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Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/MS-HB856-2026 (as of 2026-10-27).