Environment
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
StateWashingtonIntroduced
SB 5981: Protecting patient access to discounted medications and health care services through Washington's health care safety net by preventing manufacturer limitations on the 340B drug pricing program.
Annette Cleveland
SB 5981 status: Introduced — Effective date 6/11/2026 (updated Mar 25, 2026).
Source
OpenStates
Confidence
Low
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
01
What this bill does
Official summary alongside an AI-generated read on where it stands and why.
Overall Score
77OUT OF 100
Score:77/100 civic fit
Risk:Moderate Risk
Impact:Moderate Impact 65/100
Constitutionality80%
Bipartisan90%
Public opinion85%
Bill summary
What changes
The bill prohibits pharmaceutical manufacturers from unilaterally terminating or restricting discounted 340B drug pricing for qualifying healthcare safety-net providers.
Who is affected
Safety-net clinics serving low-income patients, pharmaceutical manufacturers, and patients reliant on 340B-subsidized medications.
Requirements and enforcement
Manufacturers must continue to offer agreed-upon discounts to enrolled clinics, preventing the arbitrary cut-off of program participation.
Costs and funding
Direct costs to manufacturers for drug subsidies; potential legal and administrative costs for state enforcement.
When it takes effect
Effective date 6/11/2026.
Potential benefits
Ensures affordable medication access for vulnerable populations and stabilizes the financial base of essential safety-net clinics.
Risks and tradeoffs
Risk of manufacturer non-compliance, legal disputes regarding state regulatory authority, and potential supply-chain disruptions.
What is still unknown
The exact enforcement penalties for manufacturers and the duration of potential litigation remain unstated.
02
Impact analysis
✦ AI analysisModeled effects across six domains, estimated from bill text and comparable legislation.
Economy
Positive outlook
65%
Benefits
- reduces drug procurement costs for clinics
- improves financial stability of safety-net providers
- sustains revenue for pharmacy networks serving low-income populations
Risks
- increases compliance costs for pharmaceutical manufacturers
- potential for drug manufacturers to contest regulations legally
- introduces regulatory friction in private supply chain contracts
Society
Positive outlook
80%
Benefits
- protects essential healthcare access for underserved populations
- prevents medication cost barriers for low-income families
- promotes health equity through continued safety-net services
Risks
- potential for temporary disruption during program transition
- dependence on pharmaceutical manufacturer cooperation
- risk of supply delays if manufacturers restrict distribution
Technology Industry
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Civic Accountability
No direct effect
Neutral — no direct effect identified.
Benefits
- No material direct effect identified.
Risks
- No material direct effect identified.
Public Health & Safety
Positive outlook
85%
Benefits
- ensures uninterrupted availability of essential medications
- maintains clinical capacity for public health initiatives
- improves patient adherence to prescribed treatment plans
Risks
- risk of supply chain interference by manufacturers
- potential impact on local health program resource planning
- reliance on legal defense of the 340B program structure
03
How trustworthy & consequential it is
Sourcing already shown above, this is what the analysis found worth flagging.
Source
OpenStates
Official bill text or data from OpenStates.
Confidence
Low
Information is limited or incomplete.
Analysis basis
OpenStates summary
Source used for this bill's analysis.
Source note
LegiScan returned a PDF-only document. PDF extraction is not enabled in this build, so the pipeline used a safer fallback.
Analysis scope
Analysis based on summary abstract, not full bill text.
04
Where it stands
Official record- IntroducedCurrent
- CommitteeUpcoming
- Chamber votesUpcoming
- Final agreementUpcoming
- GovernorUpcoming
- EnactedUpcoming
05
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06
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