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Everything Else Introduced Kentucky · 2026RS
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HB 543

AN ACT relating to the use of experimental treatments for life-threatening or severely debilitating illness.

In Plain Language

This bill allows manufacturers to provide unapproved experimental drugs, biological products, or devices to patients with life-threatening or severely debilitating illnesses on a case-by-case basis. Manufacturers can either provide these treatments for free or charge patients for them, and patients' heirs won't be responsible for costs if the patient dies. Doctors can recommend these treatments without facing disciplinary action, and the state won't try to block patients from accessing them. The bill protects manufacturers from lawsuits as long as they use reasonable care, but it doesn't require insurance companies to cover these treatments or hospitals to provide new services.

Official summary

Create a new section of KRS Chapter 217 to define terms; permit a manufacturer operating within an eligible facility to make available to an eligible patient an individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device; permit the manufacturer to provide the individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device or require the patient to cover the costs; provide that if a patient dies while being treated his or her heirs are not liable for costs; provide that health care provider licensing boards may not take actions against licensees for their recommendations relating to an individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device; provide that official attempts shall not be made to block an eligible patient's access to an individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device; prohibit private actions against a manufacturer of an individualized investigational drug, biological product, or device that has exercised reasonable care in accordance with this section; preclude any conclusion that health insurance coverage is required or that hospitals are required to provide new or additional services.

Sponsor

V. Grossl (Republican-88)

Cosponsors

None listed

Latest action

to Health Services (H)

Feb 10, 2026

Official source

View on OpenStates ↗

Action history

Feb 10, 2026 to Health Services (H)

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