Skip to content
PoliticalRepoPoliticalRepo

United States · Bill · S

S. 652 (118th)

Safe Step Act

referredUnited States· United States Congress· EN

Introduced

2 March 2023

Last action

2 March 2023 · Introduced

Status

Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

Sponsors

Sen. Murkowski, Lisa [R-AK], Sen. Hassan, Margaret Wood [D-NH], Sen. Marshall, Roger [R-KS], Sen. Rosen, Jacky [D-NV], Sen. Tillis, Thomas [R-NC], Sen. Merkley, Jeff [D-OR], Sen. Capito, Shelley Moore [R-WV], Sen. Cortez Masto, Catherine [D-NV], Sen. Hyde-Smith, Cindy [R-MS], Sen. Blumenthal, Richard [D-CT], Sen. Lummis, Cynthia M. [R-WY], Sen. Smith, Tina [D-MN], Sen. Cramer, Kevin [R-ND], Sen. Sinema, Kyrsten [I-AZ], Sen. Collins, Susan M. [R-ME], Sen. Casey, Robert P., Jr. [D-PA], Sen. Kaine, Tim [D-VA], Sen. Wicker, Roger F. [R-MS], Sen. Gillibrand, Kirsten E. [D-NY], Sen. Boozman, John [R-AR], Sen. Warnock, Raphael G. [D-GA], Sen. Booker, Cory A. [D-NJ], Sen. Stabenow, Debbie [D-MI], Sen. Heinrich, Martin [D-NM], Sen. Kelly, Mark [D-AZ], Sen. King, Angus S., Jr. [I-ME], Sen. Moran, Jerry [R-KS], Sen. Ossoff, Jon [D-GA], Sen. Bennet, Michael F. [D-CO], Sen. Van Hollen, Chris [D-MD], Sen. Shaheen, Jeanne [D-NH], Sen. Peters, Gary C. [D-MI], Sen. Budd, Ted [R-NC], Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV], Sen. Sullivan, Dan [R-AK], Sen. Fetterman, John [D-PA], Sen. Hirono, Mazie K. [D-HI], Sen. Padilla, Alex [D-CA], Sen. Murphy, Christopher [D-CT], Sen. Hickenlooper, John W. [D-CO], Sen. Coons, Christopher A. [D-DE], Sen. Fischer, Deb [R-NE], Sen. Wyden, Ron [D-OR], Sen. Warren, Elizabeth [D-MA], Sen. Whitehouse, Sheldon [D-RI], Sen. Tester, Jon [D-MT], Sen. Welch, Peter [D-VT], Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]

Subjects

Healthcare

Source updated

5 December 2025

Healthcare

Official sourceDownload fileView documentsShare

Summary

Safe Step Act This bill requires a group health plan to establish an exception to medication step-therapy protocol in specified cases. A medication step-therapy protocol establishes a specific sequence in which prescription drugs are covered by a group health plan or a health insurance issuer.  A request for such an exception to the protocol must be granted if (1) an otherwise required treatment has been ineffective, (2) such treatment is expected to be ineffective and delaying effective treatment would lead to irreversible consequences, (3) such treatment will cause or is likely to cause an adverse reaction to the individual, (4) such treatment is expected to prevent the individual from performing daily activities or occupational responsibilities, (5) the individual is stable based on the prescription drugs already selected, or (6) there are other circumstances as determined by the Employee Benefits Security Administration. The bill requires a group health plan to implement and make readily available a clear process for an individual to request an exception to the protocol, including required information and criteria for granting an exception. The bill further specifies timelines under which plans must respond to such requests.

This text is taken from the official record. PoliticalRepo does not editorialize.

Timeline

  1. 2 March 2023

    Introduced

    Read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions.

    Source: IntroReferral

  2. 2 March 2023

    Introduced

    Introduced in Senate

    Source: IntroReferral

Votes

No vote records are attached yet.

Versions

Documents

3 official files

Introduced in Senate (text)

View fileDownload file

This file cannot be previewed here. Use View or Download.

Leesvertaling

Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate (text)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 2 March 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

  • Introduced in Senate (PDF)

    Introduced in Senate · EN · 2 March 2023

    ViewDownloadOpen at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

  • Introduced in Senate

    summary · EN · 2 March 2023

    Open at official source

    Leesvertaling

    Vertaal dit document naar jouw taal. PoliticalRepo bewaart geen aparte kopie per EU-taal.

    Documentvertaling op verzoek met downloadbare PDF (logo + link naar de officiële bron). Het bronbestand blijft leidend.

Sponsors

Showing 48 of 50 sponsors and actors.

Related records

Sources

PoliticalRepo is an index and interpretation layer, not the authoritative legal source.