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Washington Legislature· SB 5577C 11 L 25

Concerning medicaid coverage for HIV antiviral drugs., the official text

Shown verbatim: the complete text as captured from the official page posted by the Washington Legislature, fetched 2026-08-29. This is the chaptered version. The official bill page.
CERTIFICATION OF ENROLLMENT
SENATE BILL 5577
Chapter 11, Laws of 2025
(partial veto)
69TH LEGISLATURE
2025 REGULAR SESSION
MEDICAID—HIV ANTIVIRAL DRUGS
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 27, 2025
Passed by the Senate February 28, 2025
Yeas 48  Nays 0
DENNY HECK

President of the Senate
Passed by the House March 27, 2025
Yeas 94  Nays 0
LAURIE JINKINS

Speaker of the House of Representatives
CERTIFICATE
I, Sarah Bannister, Secretary of the Senate of the State of Washington, do hereby certify that the attached is SENATE BILL 5577 as passed by the Senate and the House of Representatives on the dates hereon set forth.
SARAH BANNISTER

Secretary
Secretary
Approved April 4, 2025 11:19 AM with the exception of section 2, which is vetoed.
FILED
April 7, 2025

BOB FERGUSON

Governor of the State of Washington
Secretary of State
State of Washington

SENATE BILL 5577

Passed Legislature - 2025 Regular Session
State of Washington
69th Legislature
2025 Regular Session

By Senators Liias, Braun, Harris, Cleveland, Dhingra, Hasegawa, Holy, Kauffman, Lovelett, Nobles, Pedersen, Riccelli, Shewmake, Short, Stanford, Valdez, and C. Wilson
Read first time 01/29/25. Referred to Committee on Health & Long-Term Care.
AN ACT Relating to medicaid coverage for HIV antiviral drugs; adding a new section to chapter 74.09 RCW; providing an effective date; and declaring an emergency.
BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF WASHINGTON:
NEW SECTION.    Sec. 1. A new section is added to chapter 74.09 RCW to read as follows:
(1) The authority shall provide coverage under this chapter for all federal food and drug administration approved HIV antiviral drugs without prior authorization or step therapy. This coverage must be provided to apple health clients enrolled in both fee-for-service and managed care programs.
(2) Upon initiation or renewal of a contract with the authority to administer a medicaid managed care plan, a managed health care system shall provide coverage without prior authorization or step therapy for all federal food and drug administration approved HIV antiviral drugs.
* NEW SECTION.    Sec. 2. This act is necessary for the immediate preservation of the public peace, health, or safety, or support of the state government and its existing public institutions, and takes effect July 1, 2025.
*Sec. 2 was vetoed. See message at end of chapter.
Passed by the Senate February 28, 2025.
Passed by the House March 27, 2025.
Approved by the Governor April 4, 2025, with the exception of certain items that were vetoed.
Filed in Office of Secretary of State April 7, 2025.
Note: Governor's explanation of partial veto is as follows:
"I am returning herewith, without my approval as to Section 2, Senate Bill No. 5577 entitled:
"AN ACT Relating to medicaid coverage for HIV antiviral drugs."
The funding for the medications addressed in this bill are already covered in the Health Care Authority's base expenditures. Accordingly, there will be no gap in coverage, so there is no need for an emergency clause.
For these reasons I have vetoed Section 2 of Senate Bill No. 5577.
With the exception of Section 2, Senate Bill No. 5577 is approved."
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