WEEK 8 (Apr 8-10)
MANY OF OUR PRIORITY BILLS ARE MOVING FAST & FURIOUSLY
BILL TO REGULATE PBMS HEADS TO GOVERNOR!
In the last six years, roughly 300 of 800 independent pharmacies in Alabama have closed their doors. Practices of large pharmacy benefit managers (PBMs) threaten the existence of community pharmacies and stifle patient choice and access to care. PBMs act as intermediaries between health insurance plans and pharmacies. They process claims, determine reimbursement amounts, and negotiate drug price discounts or rebates with manufacturers. Licensed and regulated by the Department of Insurance, PBMs may have affiliations with specific network pharmacies.
SB252 (Sen. Beasley) is one of Eagle Forum’s 2025 priority bills. On Tuesday it passed the Senate and is awaiting the Governor’s signature! We applaud all of the many dedicated pharmacists who took time away from their jobs to be at the State House throughout the session making sure that the bill would not be abandoned. It was a pleasure getting to know them and working with them. We will miss seeing the “white coats” as the session winds down.
WHAT THIS BILL DOES:
- Prohibits PBMs from reimbursing independent pharmacies less than the amount paid by the Alabama Medicaid Agency to pharmacies for prescription drugs for a period of two years.
- Prohibits PBMs from charging pharmacies or pharmacists miscellaneous fees related to network participation and claims processing, and from charging other fees that reduce reimbursement or increase out-of-pocket charges to health plan beneficiaries.
- Prohibits PBM from barring disclosure of information by pharmacists to consumers about drug costs and alternative drugs for treatment.
- Requires PBMs to pass on 100 percent of rebates received from drug manufacturers to the health benefit plans for which they provide services
ALFA HEALTH PLAN PASSES FULL HOUSE
HB477 (Rep. Faulkner)
DESCRIPTION: This bill would authorize ALFA, a nonprofit agricultural organization to offer health benefits to its members and their families.
STATUS: SB477 passed the full House and is headed to the Senate.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill. If passed this could save some ALFA members 30%-60% on their insurance premiums. You don’t have to be a farmer to become an ALFA member. It only costs $36/year to be an ALFA member. Join here.
STRICTER PENALTIES FOR THE CRIME OF SEXTORTION PASSES FULL SENATE
DID YOU KNOW…
- Sextortion is the largest blackmail operation in human history.
- The surge of financial sextortion is a public safety and national security emergency.
- There has been an 18,000% increase of reported financial sex extortion targeting minors in the US since fourth quarter of 2021.
- 90% of victims are males ages 14 to 17.
- Instagram is the #1 platform where sextortion criminals target teens.
- Instagram doesn’t offer a privacy setting to keep followers/following lists private. These lists are used to blackmail victims.
On Facebook sextortion criminals shared sextortion “how-to” guides with hundreds of public groups amounting to over 100K members.
BILL SB35 SPONSOR: Sen. Allen
DESCRIPTION: Under existing law, a person commits the crime of sexual extortion if he or she knowingly causes or attempts to cause another person to engage in a sexual act or to produce any photograph, digital image, video, film, or other recording of any person, whether recognizable or not, engaged in any sexual conduct by communicating any threat to injure the body, property, or reputation of any person. This bill would further provide that a person commits the crime of sexual extortion if he or she knowingly threatens to release or transmit any photograph, digital image, video, film, or other recording of any individual, whether recognizable or not, engaged in any act of sexually explicit conduct in order to compel or attempt to compel the victim to do any act or refrain from doing any act against his or her will.
STATUS: This bill passed the full Senate and is headed to the House.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill. Learn more about this topic by watching the webinar from the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in our Week 2 Update.
BILLS TO PROTECT KIDS FROM PORN BLOCKED
ACT NOW!
Two important bills that would protect children from pornography were removed from the Senate calendar on Wednesday. SB186 (Sen. Chambliss) a bill we have been supporting for three years and SB187 (Sen. Chambliss) It passed the full House for the last 2 years and passed out of Senate committees both years but never made to the Senate floor. It will easily pass the Senate if allowed to be debated. Both bills were on the calendar on Wednesday but after a three hour filibuster the bills were pulled off the calendar. For the third year in a row, the Democrats and the big tech lobbyists have won the battle in putting profits over protecting our children. We need these bills to get back on the Senate calendar!
ACT NOW! We need you to use this smart link to contact the Governor, Lt Governor and your Senator and urge them to get these bills back to the Senate floor for debate. It only takes a few seconds to send them a message and we can follow up with them in case they missed it.
EDUCATION BILLS
RELEASE-TIME CREDIT FOR RELIGIOUS INSTRUCTION
BILL: SB278 SPONSOR: Sen. Shelnutt
DESCRIPTION: Under existing law, the State Board of Education has a policy providing elective credit to students who attend religious instruction during the school day, and each local board of education may choose whether to implement the policy. This bill would require each local board of education to adopt a policy allowing elective credit to students who are released from the classroom to attend religious instruction during the school day.
STATUS: There was a public hearing on Wednesday in the Senate Education Committee, but no vote was taken.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill. This is an excellent, constitutionally sound initiative. There are 12 school districts in AL that have policies that allow for this elective. This bill would make it easier for students to know about it and to participate.
TEN COMMANDMENTS
HB178 (Rep. Gidley) Passed out of House Ed Policy Committee and headed to the House floor. We support this bill.
SB166 (Sen. Kelley) Passed out of Senate Ed Policy Committee and is headed to the Senate floor. We support this bill.
CLASS INSTRUCTION ON SEXUAL ORIENTATION/IDENTITY PROHIBITED PRE-K-12 GRADE
HB244 (Rep. Butler) was on the House floor calendar on Thursday but they adjourned before they got to the bill. We hope it will be on the house floor calendar next week.
SEX EDUCATION-PROHIBITS GRAPHIC, INAPPROPRIATE CURRICULUM AND ENSURES SEXUAL RISK AVOIDANCE PROGRAMS ARE USED
SB277 (Sen. Shelnutt) Passed out of Senate Education and is headed to the Senate floor. We testified in support of this bill in committee. this bill.
BAN HUMAN CLONING PSSED THE HOUSE
BILL: HB380 SPONSOR: Rep. Rigsby
DESCRIPTION: This bill would create the crime of human cloning and provide that a violation is a Class C felony. This bill would also provide that the prohibitions created by this act do not restrict certain scientific research and assisted reproductive treatment, provided that those practices do not involve human cloning.
STATUS: HB380 passed the House 71-4 and is headed to the Senate.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
PROTECTIONS AGAINST UNLAWFUL USE OF DNA
BILL: HB449 SPONSOR: Rep. Robbins
DESCRIPTION: This bill would prohibit certain intentional collection, use, retention, or disclosure of a person’s DNA sample or genetic information without that person’s express consent.
STATUS: HB449 passed out of House Judiciary Committee and is awaiting debate on the House floor.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
NEW ELECTION BILLS
REMOVING AL FROM THE “ERIC” VOTER REGISTRATION SYSTEM
BILL: HB479 SPONSOR: Rep. Brinyark
DESCRIPTION: This bill would remove the Electronic Registration Information Center (ERIC) as a voter registration database that the board of registrars or the Secretary of State may use to identify voters whose addresses may have changed
STATUS: HB479 passed out of the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee and is headed to the House floor for debate.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
PROHIBIT USE OF FOREIGN NATIONAL DRIVERS LICENSE IN ELECTIONS
BILL: HB480 SPONSOR: Rep. Treadaway
DESCRIPTION: This bill would provide that a foreign national driver license may not be used for purposes of providing valid photo identification when voting.
STATUS: HB480 passed out of the House Constitution, Campaigns and Elections Committee and is headed to the House floor for debate.
OUR POSITION: We support this bill.
VIEW STATUS OF BILLS WE'RE TRACKING
Click button to view bill list sorted by category. Click on a bill to see the sponsor, description and current status.
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