# Virginia HB736: Health insurance; required provisions regarding prior authorization for prescription drugs.

Virginia HB736, Health insurance; required provisions regarding prior authorization for prescription drugs., is a 2026 Regular Session House bill sponsored by Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic); status signed, last action 2026-04-06 (Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0213)); PRIA reads it as touching household money (as of 2026-10-12).

- Canonical: https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB736-2026
- As of: 2026-10-12
- Plain-text twin of the page above; the HTML and this file carry the same facts.

## Facts
- Bill: Virginia HB736
- State: Virginia
- Session: 2026 Regular Session
- Title: Health insurance; required provisions regarding prior authorization for prescription drugs.
- Status: signed
- Chamber: House
- Introduced: 2026-01-13
- Last action: 2026-04-06, Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0213)
- Sponsor: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic)
- Cosponsors: 0
- Touches household money: yes
- Roll calls: 9 (248 yes, 0 no in all)
- Economic provisions PRIA read: 6

## Summary

Health insurance; carrier contracts; required provisions regarding prior authorization for prescription drugs. Amends existing required provisions for health carrier contracts related to prior authorizations for prescription drugs. Current law requires that if prior authorization is approved for prescription drugs and such prescription drugs have been scheduled, provided, or delivered to the patient consistent with the authorization, health carriers may not revoke, limit, condition, modify, or restrict that authorization except in certain circumstances. The bill requires this limitation on carriers to apply for the duration of the authorization, which the bill requires to be a minimum of six months for initial authorizations and a minimum of 12 months for continued authorizations. The bill adds circumstances under which a prior authorization may be revoked, limited, conditioned, modified, or restricted by a carrier, including (i) a final action by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory agencies, or the manufacturer communicating a patient efficacy issue that would affect the authorization and (ii) when additional safety and efficacy monitoring is clinically appropriate or recommended by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration, other regulatory agencies, or the manufacturer.

## Bill overview: provisions PRIA read

- Drug approvals follow patients switching insurers: benefit, medium. For covered Virginia provider contracts entered into, changed, or renewed beginning January 1, 2027, new insurers must honor prior drug approvals. This protection lasts at least the first 90 days of prescription drug coverage under the new plan. The prescriber or their designee must provide the pri…
- Easier medicine access for addiction treatment: benefit, medium. For covered Virginia provider contracts entered into, changed, or renewed beginning January 1, 2027, insurers must remove an addiction-treatment approval barrier. At least one covered drug for medication-assisted substance use treatment must not require prior approval. The prescribed dose must stay…
- Faster drug approval answers for patients: benefit, medium. These Virginia rules apply to provider contracts entered into, changed, or renewed on or after January 1, 2027. Insurers must answer urgent drug approval requests within 24 hours, including weekends, when submitted by phone or another insurer-directed method. Completed standard requests get an appr…
- Fewer repeat approvals for mental health medicines: benefit, medium. For covered Virginia provider contracts entered into, changed, or renewed beginning January 1, 2027, qualifying mental health medicines need no repeat approval. The drug must have prior insurer approval and at least three months of continuous prescribing. It must remain covered and stay within FDA-…
- Longer lasting drug approvals for patients: benefit, medium. For covered Virginia provider contracts entered into, changed, or renewed beginning January 1, 2027, initial drug approvals last at least six months. Continued approvals last at least 12 months when the drug is scheduled, provided, or delivered as approved. Insurers generally cannot cancel, shorten…
- Patients get real-time prescription cost information: benefit, medium. Beginning July 1, 2025, covered insurers must maintain online drug approval systems linked to compatible prescribing and electronic health-record systems. These links must use NCPDP SCRIPT and Real Time Benefit standards. Systems must approve requests meeting insurer criteria when no extra informat…

## Sponsors and cosponsors

- Sponsor: Michelle Lopes Maldonado (Democratic), House

## Roll call votes

| Date | Chamber | Motion | Result | Yes | No | Other |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 2026-03-05 | Senate | Passed Senate Block Vote | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) | pass | 39 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-04 | Senate | Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) | pass | 0 | 0 |   |
| 2026-03-02 | Senate | Reported from Commerce and Labor | pass | 13 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-17 | House | Read third time and passed House Block Vote | pass | 97 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Reported from Appropriations | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-13 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting | pass | 7 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-05 | House | Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations | pass | 22 | 0 |   |
| 2026-02-03 | House | Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations | pass | 9 | 0 |   |

## Actions (31)

- 2026-04-06: Acts of Assembly Chapter text (CHAP0213) (Governor)
- 2026-04-06: Approved by Governor-Chapter 213 (effective 7/1/2026) (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Governor's Action Deadline 11:59 p.m., April 13, 2026 (Governor)
- 2026-03-14: Enrolled Bill communicated to Governor on March 14, 2026 (House)
- 2026-03-12: Bill text as passed House and Senate (HB736ER) (House)
- 2026-03-12: Enrolled (House)
- 2026-03-12: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB736) (House)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by President (Senate)
- 2026-03-12: Signed by Speaker (House)
- 2026-03-05: Passed Senate Block Vote (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-05: Read third time (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Passed by for the day Block Vote (Voice Vote) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Constitutional reading dispensed Block Vote (on 2nd reading) (39-Y 0-N 0-A) (Senate)
- 2026-03-04: Rules suspended (Senate)
- 2026-03-02: Reported from Commerce and Labor (13-Y 0-N) (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Referred to Committee on Commerce and Labor (Senate)
- 2026-02-18: Constitutional reading dispensed (on 1st reading) (Senate)
- 2026-02-17: Read third time and passed House Block Vote (97-Y 0-N 0-A) (House)
- 2026-02-17: Fiscal Impact Statement from Department of Planning and Budget (HB736) (House)
- 2026-02-16: Engrossed by House as amended (House)
- 2026-02-16: committee amendments agreed to (House)
- 2026-02-16: Read second time (House)
- 2026-02-15: Read first time (House)
- 2026-02-13: Subcommittee recommends reporting (7-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-13: Reported from Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Reported from Labor and Commerce with amendment(s) and referred to Appropriations (22-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-02-05: Assigned HAPP sub: Compensation and Retirement (House)
- 2026-02-03: Subcommittee recommends reporting with amendment(s) and referring to Appropriations (9-Y 0-N) (House)
- 2026-01-20: Assigned HCL sub: Subcommittee #1 (House)
- 2026-01-13: Referred to Committee on Labor and Commerce (House)
- 2026-01-13: Prefiled and ordered printed; Offered 01-14-2026 26105188D (House)

## Bill text

- Chaptered, 2026-04-06: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216826.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216825.PDF)
- Enrolled, 2026-03-09: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201366.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201365.PDF)
- Engrossed, 2026-02-16: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148720.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148719.PDF)
- Amendment, 2026-02-05: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131378.HTML)
- Amendment, 2026-02-04: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115897.HTML)
- Introduced, 2026-01-13: [HTML](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085699.HTML), [PDF](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085698.PDF)

## Related bills

- HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties. (signed)
- HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with rental agreement. (signed)
- HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for certain individuals. (signed)
- HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, termination by landlord. (signed)
- HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil penalty. (signed)

## Sources
- [Chaptered (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216826.HTML)
- [Chaptered (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1216825.PDF)
- [Enrolled (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201366.HTML)
- [Enrolled (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1201365.PDF)
- [Engrossed (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148720.HTML)
- [Engrossed (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1148719.PDF)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1131378.HTML)
- [Amendment (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1115897.HTML)
- [Introduced (HTML)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085699.HTML)
- [Introduced (PDF)](https://lis.blob.core.windows.net/files/1085698.PDF)

## Related
- [HB5: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB5-2026)
- [SB199: Employment; paid sick leave, civil penalties.](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-SB199-2026)
- [HB95: Va. Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; landlord remedies, noncompliance with…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB95-2026)
- [HB1393: Electric utilities; pilot program for energy assistance and weatherization for…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB1393-2026)
- [HB834: Virginia Residential Landlord and Tenant Act; fire or casualty damage, terminat…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB834-2026)
- [HB675: Protection of employees; coercion or threat based on immigration status, civil…](https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB675-2026)
- [Virginia bills](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia/bills)
- [Virginia state hub](https://policyrisk.com/states/virginia)
- [All state legislation](https://policyrisk.com/state-bills)

Source: PRIA, https://policyrisk.com/state-bill/VA-HB736-2026 (as of 2026-10-12).