H.R. 2163: Safe Step Act

117th Congress · introduced 2021-03-23 · Health · Latest: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor.

federal

Follow this bill, step by step

Where it came from: introduced 2021-03-23 · official record
Who proposed it: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] · what a sponsor is
What happened next: no floor votes in our records yet. Why?
Where it stands now: Referred to the House Committee on Education and Labor. Not final yet: this can still change. We check for updates every day.
If it becomes law and spends money: follow the money to money laws, then agencies and contracts and grants.

What does this mean?

Official title

Safe Step Act

Plain 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.

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House), quoted unchanged (nonpartisan). Read the source.

What a vote does

A “Yea” vote

If it passes both chambers and is signed, it becomes law.

A “Nay” vote

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PSI Sci description of the legislative step (not an opinion).

What does this mean? (plain words)

Official text

Safe Step Act

Source: Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)

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How did my representative vote? · This bill's floor votes

Officials and money

Sponsor: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] · 197 cosponsors

Cost estimate: No cost estimate published yet.

Cosponsors on this site

Lucy McBath (D-GA), Mariannette Miller-Meeks (R-IA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Lisa Blunt Rochester (D-DE), Brian K. Fitzpatrick (R-PA), Rick W. Allen (R-GA), Suzan K. DelBene (D-WA), John Joyce (R-PA), Thomas R. Suozzi (D-NY), Diana DeGette (D-CO), Betty McCollum (D-MN), Ed Case (D-HI), J. French Hill (R-AR), Chellie Pingree (D-ME), Mary Gay Scanlon (D-PA), Michael Guest (R-MS), Jason Crow (D-CO), Sharice Davids (D-KS), John H. Rutherford (R-FL), Deborah K. Ross (D-NC), Raja Krishnamoorthi (D-IL), Haley M. Stevens (D-MI), Gwen Moore (D-WI), Stephen F. Lynch (D-MA), Kim Schrier (D-WA), Steve Cohen (D-TN), Don Bacon (R-NE), Josh Gottheimer (D-NJ), Marilyn Strickland (D-WA), Henry C. "Hank" Johnson, Jr. (D-GA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), Mark E. Amodei (R-NV), Paul Tonko (D-NY), Pete Aguilar (D-CA), Nancy Mace (R-SC), Julia Brownley (D-CA), Dusty Johnson (R-SD), Tom Cole (R-OK) and 137 more.

Sponsor's campaign money: Rep. Ruiz, Raul [D-CA-36] reported raising $2.5 million (2025–2026). Details. Shown for context only; it does not mean any donor supported this bill.

No linked floor roll calls in our collected records yet. This does not mean the bill has never had a vote. Check the official bill history.

Words on this page, explained (2)

Bill: A proposed law. It becomes law only if it passes the legislature and is signed by the president or governor (or a veto is overridden).
Securities: Financial investments that can be bought and sold, such as stocks and bonds.

Plain meanings written from linked sources. All words.

Sources

Congressional Research Service summary (Introduced in House)
Congress.gov
Data: GovInfo BILLSTATUS bulk data (Library of Congress), BILLSTATUS-117hr2163.xml <https://www.govinfo.gov/bulkdata/BILLSTATUS/117/hr>

Record fed-us-cong117-hr2163 · catalog fed-us-congress-bills-cong117 · updated 2026-11-15 by psicol fed-bills-cong117