CO SB 6

enacted

Parity for Non-Opioid Pain Management Drugs

Colorado · 2026 Regular Session · upper

Description

The act requires a health insurance carrier that provides prescription drug benefits to require that:The utilization review requirements, including prior authorization and step therapy, for a non-opioid drug prescribed and approved by the federal food and drug administration (FDA) for the treatment or management of chronic or acute pain (non-opioid pain management drug) are no more restrictive than the least restrictive utilization review requirements for opioid drugs prescribed for the treatment or management of chronic or acute pain; andThe cost-sharing, copayment, or deductible for a non-opioid pain management drug is not greater than the cost-sharing, copayment, or deductible for an opioid drug prescribed for the treatment or management of chronic or acute pain. The act requires each individual and small group health benefit plan issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2027, and each large employer health benefit plan issued or renewed on and after January 1, 2028, to ensure there is at least one non-opioid pain management drug available as a clinically appropriate alternative for an opioid pain management drug. If the division of insurance determines that coverage for a non-opioid pain management drug offered by individual and small group health benefit plans requires state defrayal of the cost of coverage, the requirement to make a non-opioid pain management drug available is inoperative. The state employee health benefit plan is excluded from the requirements of the act. The act appropriates $15,415 to the department of regulatory agencies for use by the division of insurance to implement the act.(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)

Introduced: 2026-01-14
Status date: —
Latest action: 2026-06-03 — Governor Signed
Bill type: bill
Last updated: —

Subjects

Health Care & Health Insurance

Committees

Not provided by source.

Action timeline

2026-06-03
Governor Signed
executive-signature
2026-05-05
House Second Reading Special Order - Lost with Amendments - Committee
2026-05-22
Sent to the Governor
executive-receipt
2026-05-22
Signed by the Speaker of the House
passage
2026-05-05
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - No Amendments
2026-05-22
Signed by the President of the Senate
passage
2026-05-08
Senate Considered House Amendments - Result was to Concur - Repass
2026-05-06
House Third Reading Passed with Amendments - Floor
passage,reading-3
2026-05-05
House Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-05-01
House Committee on Appropriations Refer Amended to House Committee of the Whole
committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-04-22
House Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Unamended to Appropriations
referral-committee
2026-04-20
Introduced In House - Assigned to Health & Human Services
introduction
2026-04-20
Senate Third Reading Passed - No Amendments
passage,reading-3
2026-04-17
Senate Second Reading Special Order - Passed with Amendments - Committee
2026-04-17
Senate Committee on Appropriations Refer Unamended to Senate Committee of the Whole
committee-passage,referral-committee
2026-04-08
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Refer Amended to Appropriations
referral-committee
2026-04-02
Senate Committee on Health & Human Services Witness Testimony and/or Committee Discussion Only
2026-01-14
Introduced In Senate - Assigned to Health & Human Services
introduction

Versions

Introduced — 2026-01-14Compare
Engrossed — 2026-04-17Compare
Reengrossed — 2026-04-20Compare
Revised — 2026-05-05Compare
Rerevised — 2026-05-06Compare
Final Act — 2026-05-21Compare
Signed Act — 2026-06-04Compare
(document, no version)Compare

Documents

Votes

Refer Senate Bill 26-006, as amended, to the Committee on Appropriations.
2026-04-08 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Scott Bright: yes
- Lisa Cutter: yes
- Lindsey Daugherty: yes
- Lisa Frizell: yes
- Mike Weissman: yes
- Iman Jodeh: yes
- Kyle Mullica: no
Adopt amendment L.004 (Attachment E).
2026-04-08 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Scott Bright: yes
- Lisa Cutter: yes
- Lindsey Daugherty: yes
- Lisa Frizell: yes
- Mike Weissman: yes
- Iman Jodeh: yes
- Kyle Mullica: no
Adopt amendment L.001 (Attachment D).
2026-04-08 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Scott Bright: yes
- Lisa Cutter: yes
- Lindsey Daugherty: yes
- Lisa Frizell: yes
- Mike Weissman: yes
- Iman Jodeh: yes
- Kyle Mullica: no
Refer Senate Bill 26-006 to the Committee of the Whole.
2026-04-17 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (7)
- Julie Gonzales: yes
- Barbara Kirkmeyer: yes
- Chris Kolker: yes
- Larry Liston: yes
- Byron Pelton: yes
- Jeff Bridges: yes
- Judy Amabile: yes
BILL
2026-04-20 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (36)
- Amabile: yes
- Baisley: yes
- Ball: yes
- Benavidez: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Bright: yes
- Carson: no
- Catlin: yes
- Cutter: yes
- Danielson: yes
- Daugherty: yes
- Exum: yes
- Frizell: yes
- Gonzales J.: yes
- Hinrichsen: yes
- Jodeh: yes
- Kipp: yes
- Kirkmeyer: yes
- Kolker: yes
- Lindstedt: no
- Liston: yes
- Marchman: yes
- Mullica: no
- Pelton B.: yes
- Pelton R.: excused
- Rich: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Rodriguez: yes
- Simpson: yes
- Snyder: yes
- Sullivan: no
- Wallace: yes
- Weissman: yes
- Zamora Wilson: no
- President: yes
- Coleman: yes
Refer Senate Bill 26-006 to the Committee on Appropriations.
2026-04-22 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (13)
- Mary Bradfield: no
- Lindsay Gilchrist: yes
- Sheila Lieder: yes
- Carlos Barron: no
- Brandi Bradley: no
- Regina English: yes
- Lisa Feret: yes
- Eliza Hamrick: yes
- Dusty Johnson: no
- Karen McCormick: yes
- Gretchen Rydin: yes
- Katie Stewart: yes
- Dan Woog: no
Adopt amendment J.002
2026-05-01 · pass · 0-0
Refer Senate Bill 26-006, as amended, to the Committee of the Whole.
2026-05-01 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (11)
- Andrew Boesenecker: yes
- Lori Garcia Sander: no
- Junie Joseph: yes
- Karen McCormick: yes
- Matt Soper: yes
- Rick Taggart: yes
- Brianna Titone: yes
- Elizabeth Velasco: yes
- Yara Zokaie: yes
- Emily Sirota: yes
- Kyle Brown: yes
REPASS
2026-05-08 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (36)
- Amabile: yes
- Baisley: no
- Ball: yes
- Benavidez: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Bright: yes
- Carson: no
- Catlin: yes
- Cutter: yes
- Danielson: yes
- Daugherty: yes
- Exum: yes
- Frizell: yes
- Gonzales J.: yes
- Hinrichsen: yes
- Jodeh: yes
- Kipp: yes
- Kirkmeyer: yes
- Kolker: yes
- Lindstedt: no
- Liston: excused
- Marchman: yes
- Mullica: no
- Pelton B.: yes
- Pelton R.: yes
- Rich: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Rodriguez: yes
- Simpson: yes
- Snyder: yes
- Sullivan: no
- Wallace: yes
- Weissman: yes
- Zamora Wilson: no
- Coleman: yes
- President: yes
CONCUR
2026-05-08 · pass · 0-0
Member-level votes (36)
- Amabile: yes
- Baisley: yes
- Ball: yes
- Benavidez: yes
- Bridges: yes
- Bright: yes
- Carson: yes
- Catlin: yes
- Cutter: yes
- Danielson: yes
- Daugherty: yes
- Exum: yes
- Frizell: yes
- Gonzales J.: yes
- Hinrichsen: yes
- Jodeh: yes
- Kipp: yes
- Kirkmeyer: yes
- Kolker: yes
- Lindstedt: yes
- Liston: excused
- Marchman: yes
- Mullica: yes
- Pelton B.: yes
- Pelton R.: yes
- Rich: yes
- Roberts: yes
- Rodriguez: yes
- Simpson: yes
- Snyder: yes
- Sullivan: yes
- Wallace: yes
- Weissman: yes
- Zamora Wilson: yes
- Coleman: yes
- President: yes

Related bills

No related bills recorded for this bill.

Official source

https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/SB26-006

Attribution

Data from openstates_bulk_csv, retrieved 2026-07-24T03:52:26.466301Z

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