SCR005 • 2026

Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication

Labor

Enacted

This bill passed the Legislature and reached final enactment based on the latest official action.

Sponsor: Sen. Weiler, Todd
Last action: 2026-03-24
Official status: Governor Signed
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication

This resolution relates to non-opioid pain medication and state employee health coverage.

What This Bill Does

This resolution relates to non-opioid pain medication and state employee health coverage.

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Bill History

2026-03-24 Lieutenant Governor's office for filing
Governor Signed
2026-03-11 Senate Secretary
Senate/ received enrolled bill from Printing
2026-03-11 Executive Branch - Governor
Senate/ to Governor
2026-03-05 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Bill Received from Senate for Enrolling
2026-03-05 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Draft of Enrolled Bill Prepared
2026-03-05 Senate Secretary
Enrolled Bill Returned to House or Senate
2026-03-05 Senate Secretary
Senate/ enrolled bill to Printing
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 2nd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ 3rd reading
2026-03-04 House 3rd Reading Calendar for Senate bills
House/ Rules to 3rd Reading Calendar
2026-03-04 House Speaker
House/ passed 3rd reading
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ signed by Speaker/ returned to Senate
2026-03-04 Senate President
House/ to Senate
2026-03-04 Senate President
Senate/ received from House
2026-03-04 Legislative Research and General Counsel / Enrolling
Senate/ signed by President/ sent for enrolling
2026-03-02 House Health and Human Services Committee
House/ committee report favorable
2026-03-02 House Rules Committee
House/ return to Rules due to fiscal impact
2026-02-27 House Health and Human Services Committee
House Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-02-26 House Rules Committee
House/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-02-26 House Health and Human Services Committee
House/ to standing committee
2026-02-25 Clerk of the House
House/ received from Senate
2026-02-25 Clerk of the House
Senate/ to House
2026-02-23 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 3rd reading
2026-02-23 Clerk of the House
Senate/ passed 3rd reading
2026-02-20 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ 2nd reading
2026-02-20 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ floor amendment
2026-02-20 Senate 3rd Reading Calendar
Senate/ passed 2nd reading
2026-02-04 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ comm rpt/ amended
2026-02-04 Senate 2nd Reading Calendar
Senate/ placed on 2nd Reading Calendar
2026-02-03 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate Comm - Amendment Recommendation
2026-02-03 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate Comm - Favorable Recommendation
2026-01-26 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate Comm - Not Considered
2026-01-23 Released
LFA/ fiscal note publicly available for SCR005
2026-01-23 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ received fiscal note from Fiscal Analyst
2026-01-21 Version Sponsor
LFA/ fiscal note sent to sponsor for SCR005
2026-01-21 Senate Health and Human Services Committee
Senate/ to standing committee
2026-01-20 Senate Rules Committee
Senate/ 1st reading (Introduced)
2026-01-19 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Bill Numbered but not Distributed
2026-01-19 Legislative Fiscal Analyst
LFA/ bill assigned to staff for fiscal analysis for SCR005
2026-01-19 Legislative Fiscal Agency
LFA/ bill sent to agencies for fiscal input for SCR005
2026-01-19 Legislative Research and General Counsel
Numbered Bill Publicly Distributed
2026-01-19 Waiting for Introduction in the Senate
Senate/ received bill from Legislative Research

Official Summary Text

This resolution relates to non-opioid pain medication and state employee health coverage.

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

2
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Concurrent Resolution Directing PEHP Regarding Pain Medication
2026 GENERAL SESSION
STATE OF UTAH
Chief Sponsor: Todd Weiler
House Sponsor: Raymond P. Ward
LONG TITLE
General Description:
This resolution relates to non-opioid pain medication and state employee health coverage.
Highlighted Provisions:
This resolution:
directs the Public Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program to adjust the state employee
health insurance plan related to non-opioid pain medication.
Money Appropriated in this Bill:
None
Other Special Clauses:
None
Be it resolved by the Legislature of the state of Utah, the Governor concurring therein:
WHEREAS, in accordance with Section
49-20-201
, the state participates in the Public
Employees' Benefit and Insurance Program (PEHP);
WHEREAS, Utah has experienced significant harm from the opioid epidemic, with
thousands of Utahns suffering from opioid addiction and hundreds dying from opioid-related
overdoses annually;
WHEREAS, the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention has issued guidelines
recommending that non-opioid therapies be considered as first-line treatments for chronic pain;
WHEREAS, many health insurance plans impose utilization barriers to accessing
non-opioid pain medications through:
1. higher copayments and coinsurance rates compared to opioid medications;
2. prior authorization requirements that delay or prevent access to non-opioid alternatives;
3. quantity limits that restrict the supply of non-opioid medications; and
4. formulary placement that designates non-opioid options as non-preferred or specialty
drugs;
WHEREAS, some health insurance plans do not apply these same requirements to opioid
drugs; and
WHEREAS, these coverage disparities create perverse incentives that encourage the use of
opioid medications over safer non-opioid alternatives
:
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Legislature of the state of Utah, the
Governor concurring therein, beginning with the 2027 plan year, directs PEHP for state
employees:
1. to include in PEHP's drug formulary at least one clinically appropriate non-opioid
prescription drug as an alternative for each opioid prescription drug;
2. not to place cost sharing, prior authorization, step therapy, or other utilization review
requirements on a covered non-opioid prescription drug that are more restrictive than the
requirements placed on a covered opioid prescription drug; and
3. to implement this resolution within an appropriation of $150,000 and to request an
additional appropriation if the cost for complying with this resolution were to exceed $150,000.
3-5-26 7:55 AM