Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs Act of 2026

COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA
The John A. Wilson Building
1350 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW
Washington, D.C. 20004

Statement of Introduction on the
Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs Act of 2026
February 2, 2026

Today I, along with Councilmembers Allen, Nadeau, and Pinto, am introducing the Lowering the
Cost of Prescription Drugs Act of 2026. This legislation allows DC Health, on behalf of the
Mayor, to enter into a cooperative purchasing agreement with a prescription drug discount
program for the explicit purpose of lowering the cost of prescription medications for all District
residents, regardless of insurance status.
This partnership will be with ArrayRX, a collaboration of state partners, which collectively
harnesses the purchasing power of the participating states.1 ArrayRX participants can secure
deeper discounts for prescriptions drugs than individual consumers or small employers can
achieve on their own, and has proven results of reducing the cost of prescription drugs for
individuals and states across the country.2
Prescription drug costs are a public health crisis in the District, imposing heavy burdens on
families, seniors, and individuals with chronic illness. Surveys show that many Americans find it
difficult to afford prescription drugs due to high out-of-pocket costs.3 In 2019, the average per
capita prescription drug spending in the U.S. was approximately $1,126 per person, and that only
continues to grow.4 Americans also have much higher out-of-pocket costs compared to those in
other countries.5 Concerns around prescription drugs cause some people to take less than the
prescribed doses, which can have serious health implications.6
The District does have limited cost control laws for consumers, like the Specialty Drug
Copayment Limitation Act of 2015 and the Insulin Affordability Amendment Act of 2020, but
these are targeted interventions for specific populations and drugs. Entering this broad
partnership is especially critical now, a time when both public and private health insurance
coverage and costs are changing, and many residents, regardless of their health insurance status,
are increasingly vulnerable to high drug prices.

1 https://www.arrayrxsolutions.com/
2 https://osc.ct.gov/articles/comptroller-sean-scanlon-announces-new-data-on-arrayrx-enrollment-and-usage/
3 https://www.kff.org/health-costs/public-opinion-on-prescription-drugs-and-their-prices/
4 https://www.healthsystemtracker.org/chart-collection/how-do-prescription-drug-costs-in-the-united-states-
compare-to-other-countries/
5 Id
6 https://hpi.georgetown.edu/rxdrugs/
Christina Henderson Committee Member
Councilmember, At-Large Facilities
Chairperson, Committee on Health Human Services
Transportation and the Environment

Lowering prescription drug costs is an economic issue as well as a public health priority. When
residents can afford their medications, adherence improves, complications decrease, and health
outcomes strengthen. This bill will give the District access to a pragmatic tool and a network of
states with the shared mission to advance affordability, equity, and wellbeing. I urge my
colleagues to support this important legislation.

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Councilmember Brianne K. Nadeau Councilmember Christina Henderson 5
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Councilmember Brooke Pinto Councilmember Charles Allen 10
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A BILL 12
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IN THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA 17
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To authorize the Mayor, on behalf of the District of Columbia, to establish a drug discount 21
program by entering into a cooperative purchasing agreement with a prescription drug 22
discount program for the purpose of lowering prescription drug costs for District 23
residents. 24
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE COUNCIL OF THE DISTRICT OF COLUMBIA, That this 26
act may be cited as the “Lowering the Cost of Prescription Drugs Act of 2026” 27
Sec. 2. Discount drug card program. 28
(a) The Mayor shall establish a drug discount card program (“program”) by entering into, 29
on behalf of the District of Columbia, a cooperative purchasing agreement with a prescription 30
drug discount program, which may include a multi-state non-profit prescription drug purchasing 31
consortium, for the purpose of lowering prescription drug costs for District residents. 32
(b) The Department of Health shall implement the program to give all District residents, 33
including those with public insurance, private insurance, and no insurance, access to the lower-34
cost prescription drugs established by the program. 35

(c) The Mayor, pursuant to Title I of the District of Columbia Administrative Procedure 36
Act, approved October 21, 1968 (82 Stat. 1204; D.C. Official Code § 2-501 et seq.), may issue 37
rules to implement the provisions of this act. 38
Sec. 3. Fiscal impact statement. 39
The Council adopts the fiscal impact statement in the committee report as the fiscal 40
impact statement required by section 4a of the General Legislative Procedures Act of 1975, 41
approved October 16, 2006 (120 Stat. 2038; D.C. Official Code § 1-301.47a). 42
Sec. 4. Effective date. 43
This act shall take effect following approval by the Mayor (or in the event of veto by the 44
Mayor, action by the Council to override the veto) and a 30-day period of congressional review 45
as provided in section 602(c)(1) of the District of Columbia Home Rule Act, approved December 46
24, 1973 (87 Stat. 813; D.C. Official Code § 1-206.02(c)(1)). 47