HB 2023

Howard Bill Makes Plans Cover Emergency Contraceptives, No Prescription Needed

Died in committee

Verdict: No flags

No flagsInitial review

Initial review · graded Oct 20, 2026 · Headline, summary and grade are analysis of the bill text, not a finding about any person · How we grade

Caption

relating to the coverage of emergency contraceptive drugs by health benefit plans.

Caption from analyzed text · version I.

Summary

Once a year, for plans that already cover prescription birth control, starting January 1, 2026.

The bill requires a health plan that already covers prescription birth control to also cover emergency contraceptive drugs at least once a year for each enrollee, without a prescription. It touches state-regulated health insurers and the people enrolled in their plans. Starting with plans issued or renewed on or after January 1, 2026, enrollees could get one covered emergency contraceptive a year without first seeing a prescriber.

Labels

Labels: NEVER GOT A HEARING. Filed Jan 22, 2025 and referred to the House Insurance committee. No public hearing. The bill died.

Receipt

The receipt

89R-HB2023 · 2025-01-22

SOLD BY

Rep. Donna HowardDHouse 48

Rep. Claudia OrdazDHouse 79

ITEM

relating to the coverage of emergency contraceptive drugs by health benefit plans.

WHAT IT DOES

Once a year, for plans that already cover prescription birth control, starting January 1, 2026.

CHARGES

[ ] NONE FOUND

TOTAL

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

HISTORY

Jan 22, 2025Filed
Mar 14, 2025Read first time
Mar 14, 2025Referred to Insurance

FILED UNDER

BIG PHARMA'S BILL

THE TEXT

…“must provide coverage for emergency contraceptive drugs at least once per year without a prescription for each enrollee”

Bill text, introduced version (I)

The bill adds a state insurance coverage mandate for a specific class of FDA-approved drugs and lets enrollees get that coverage without a prescription.

No flags

THANK YOU FOR CHECKING THE RECEIPT

CAMPAIGN PAID FOR BY

Donna Howard

Donors

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15K Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Political Action Committee$8K HDCC Incumbent Protection Fund$7K

Not tied to this bill.

Sources

The author's campaign account only. Own money and internal transfers are separate on the member page.

Derived itemized flow · Oct 28, 2024 to Oct 24, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC$15,000.00

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985297, 101031291, 101059636, 101070104.

Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Political Action Committee$7,500.00

Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Political Action Committee

$7,500.00

Cash: $7,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,500.00

Also funds 38 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 19, 2024 to Oct 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Sep 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985297, 101069647.

HDCC Incumbent Protection Fund$7,000.00

HDCC Incumbent Protection Fund

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 8 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 22, 2025 to May 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101059636.

Money

Missing data does not establish zero giving. Display amounts are rounded.

Texas Trial Lawyers Association PAC

$15,000.00

Cash: $15,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $15,000.00

Also funds 137 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Jul 24, 2024 to Oct 23, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 10, 2024 to Oct 2, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985297, 101031291, 101059636, 101070104.

Texas Association of Nurse Anesthetists Political Action Committee

$7,500.00

Cash: $7,500.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,500.00

Also funds 38 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Nov 19, 2024 to Oct 5, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Team

Sources

Derived itemized flow · Dec 11, 2024 to Sep 12, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 100985297, 101069647.

HDCC Incumbent Protection Fund

$7,000.00

Cash: $7,000.00
Paid by others: $0.00
Total: $7,000.00

Also funds 8 other sitting lawmakers.

Derived recipient stock · Aug 22, 2025 to May 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

TEC account match.

Sources

Derived itemized flow · on May 21, 2026. State data as of Nov 4, 2026.

Derived itemized contributions on live regular reports and uncovered special-session dates. Internal account transfers and daily reports are excluded.

Report IDs: 101059636.

Votes

No floor vote loaded for this bill.

Fiscal

No fiscal note in the loaded record.

How this was graded

Analysis of text version I by claude-opus-5-5, Oct 20, 2026, against the published rubric.

Sources

Texas House · Filed Jan 22, 2025

03/14/2025 H Referred to Insurance: Mar 14 2025 2:36PM

Texas Legislature Online · Introduced

Data snapshot Oct 26, 2026 at 4:19 AM CDT. Grades, charges, quotes and corrections follow the published record.

House committee · Insurance · Final status: Died in committee

Subjects

Insurance--Health & Accident

FAMILY PLANNING & BIRTH CONTROL

MEDICINE & PRESCRIPTION DRUGS

Text

The text as introduced · 181 words

By: Howard
H.B. No. 2023

A BILL TO BE ENTITLED

AN ACT

relating to the coverage of emergency contraceptive drugs by health

benefit plans.

BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS:

SECTION 1. Subchapter C, Chapter 1369, Insurance Code, is

amended by adding Section 1369.1035 to read as follows:

Sec. 1369.1035. EMERGENCY CONTRACEPTIVE COVERAGE REQUIRED.

(a) In this section, "emergency contraceptive" means a drug

containing an elevated dose of hormones that:

(1) is used postcoitally;

(2) prevents pregnancy by preventing fertilization of

an egg or preventing implantation of a fertilized egg in a uterus;

and

(3) is approved by the United States Food and Drug

Administration.

(b) A health benefit plan that provides coverage for

prescription contraceptive drugs must provide coverage for

emergency contraceptive drugs at least once per year without a

prescription for each enrollee.

SECTION 2. Section 1369.1035, Insurance Code, as added by

this Act, applies only to a health benefit plan that is delivered,

issued for delivery, or renewed on or after January 1, 2026.

SECTION 3. This Act takes effect September 1, 2025.