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HB 5149WEST VIRGINIASession 2026State Billdead
Did Not Advance

West Virginia Bill Establishes Prescription Drug Affordability Board to Review Costs and Set Payment Limits

Original title: Establishing the West Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board

Last action · February 3, 2026: To House Health and Human ResourcesSponsor: Kayla Young

Bill progressHistory & official text ↓
Introduced
Committee
Floor Vote
Passed
Law

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What This Bill Proposed

The bill creates the West Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board and a 26-member stakeholder council to study prescription drug pricing, review high-cost medications, and potentially establish upper payment limits for state and local government purchases. The measure is sponsored by Delegate Young and introduces annual fee assessments on drug manufacturers, wholesalers, and insurers to fund board operations.

Why it matters

Establishes a new state entity with the authority to collect pricing transparency data, conduct cost reviews on expensive medications, and potentially cap payment rates for government-purchased prescription drugs, funded by annual fees up to $2,000,000 levied on pharmaceutical industry entities.

Who It Would Have Affected

Groups the bill's text would have affected, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

Prescription drug manufacturers

Manufacturers are subject to data collection requests, transparency reporting, potential cost reviews, annual fee assessments, and possible upper payment limits on their products.

Directly affected

Health insurance carriers and managed care organizations

Insurers and health plans are subject to annual fee assessments, data reporting requirements, and potential impacts on payment rates under board-established upper payment limits.

Directly affected

State and local government agencies

Government units, state correctional facilities, state hospitals, and public employee health plans may benefit from or be subject to established upper payment limits on prescription drug purchases.

Directly affected

Pharmacy benefits managers

Pharmacy benefits managers are required to pay annual fees, report rebate and pricing data, and comply with board transparency and cost review rules.

Key Facts

You don't have to trust us. Each fact below is taken straight from the official document - click any one to see the exact passage, highlighted in the original.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the main purpose of the West Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board?
The board's purpose is to protect residents, state and local governments, commercial health plans, providers, and pharmacies from the high costs of prescription drug products.
Who funds the operations of the new Prescription Drug Affordability Board?
The board is funded by an annual fee assessed on prescription drug manufacturers, s, health insurers, and wholesale distributors, with total collections capped at $2,000,000 per calendar year.
Can the board set price caps on all prescription drugs immediately?
No. The board must first complete studies, adopt regulations, draft a plan of action, and secure formal approval from the Legislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources (or alternatively the Governor and Attorney General) before setting upper payment limits.
Are the financial and pricing documents collected by the board open to public inspection?
No. Information and data obtained by the board that is not otherwise publicly available is considered a confidential trade secret and is exempt from the West Virginia Freedom of Information Act.

What else do you want to know?

News Coverage

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Where This Stands

This bill did not become law - Died at adjournment · in House committee.

Procedural history

4 actions
  1. Feb 3, 2026HouseCommittee
    To House Health and Human Resources
  2. Feb 3, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Introduced in House
  3. Feb 3, 2026HouseCommittee
    To Health and Human Resources then Finance
  4. Feb 3, 2026HouseIntroduced
    Filed for introduction

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

View official text →

Lobbying Activity

No state lobbying filings in our records match this bill. Federal lobbying reports (LDA) cover Congress, so they are not listed on state bills.

Full breakdown

Who this bill affects and the strongest case for and against it, written only from the bill’s own text.

Sponsors

Kayla YoungHouse · District 56DemocraticPrimary sponsor

Discoveries

1 pattern noticed across the record

Patterns POLISCOPE noticed across the record. These are observations to investigate, not conclusions.

policy shift95% confidence

Establishment of State-Level Drug Price Regulation

The bill represents a significant shift toward active state oversight of pharmaceutical pricing through mandated cost reviews, data transparency agreements with other states, and potential upper payment limits.

West Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability BoardPrescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council

Connected Entities

Insurance Commissioner, West Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board, Prescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council and 9 more
PersonInsurance Commissioner“Appoints a member to the board”Map →
OrganizationWest Virginia Prescription Drug Affordability Board“Board established by the bill to review drug costs and affordability”Map →
OrganizationPrescription Drug Affordability Stakeholder Council“26-member council created to provide stakeholder input to the board”Map →
PersonKayla Young“Delegate who introduced House Bill 5149”Map →
PersonAttorney General“Appoints a board member and serves as legal adviser to the board”Map →
PersonState Treasurer“Holds and invests the Prescription Drug Affordability Fund”Map →
PersonPresident of the Senate“Appoints board and stakeholder council members”Map →
OrganizationLegislative Joint Committee on Government on Finance“Receives study findings and recommendations from the board”Map →
PersonGovernor“Appoints board and stakeholder council members”Map →
OrganizationLegislative Oversight Commission on Health and Human Resources“Reviews and approves plans of action regarding upper payment limits”Map →
OrganizationPrescription Drug Affordability Fund“Special non-lapsing fund created to finance board operations”Map →
PersonSpeaker of the House of Delegates“Appoints board and stakeholder council members”Map →

Sources

Open source document

www.wvlegislature.gov

Analysis Score

0–100
  • Significance20
    Lowered because this bill did not pass (its text scored 85)
  • Controversy75
    Intensity of disagreement among stakeholders
  • Entertainment10
    Compellingness for a non-policy-wonk reader
  • Buzz50
    Current news / social attention level

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