Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018
Public Law 115-262 · S. 2553 · 115th Congress · began in the Senate
Signed by Donald Trump (R) on Oct 10, 2018 · Health
Sponsor: Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI)
Cosponsors (15): Sen. Susan Collins, Sen. Ron Wyden,
Passage votes
- HouseVoice vote
- SenateUnanimous consent
Data notes
The final version of the law, as each chamber passed it. A chamber that passed it by voice vote or unanimous consent has no count. “Method not stated” means the record does not say how the chamber voted. Where the record has a member-by-member vote, the “Who voted for it” section shows who voted yea.
Summary
The Congressional Research Service’s plain-language summary of what the law does.
Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018
(Sec. 2) This bill prohibits a prescription drug plan under Medicare or Medicare Advantage from restricting a pharmacy from informing an enrollee of any difference between the price, copayment, or coinsurance of a drug under the plan and a lower price of the drug without health-insurance coverage. (Such restrictions are commonly referred to as gag clauses.)
Committees
The committees the bill was sent to, and what each did with it.
Data notes
A committee links to its page only where it exists in the current Congress; older and renamed committees are named without a link.
Related bills
4 bills the Library of Congress relates to this one.
H.R. 6144Identical bill
Know the Lowest Price Act of 2018
H.R. 6733Related bill
Know the Cost Act of 2018
S. 2554 · became Public Law 115-263Related bill
Patient Right to Know Drug Prices Act
S.Con.Res. 49Related bill
A concurrent resolution providing for a correction in the enrollment of S. 2553.
Data notes
Related bills are identified by the Congressional Research Service, the House and the Senate: companion and identical bills, bills with similar text, bills that were folded into this law, and rules that brought it to the floor. A bill that is itself a public law in this site’s data links here; the others link to Congress.gov.
Timeline
From introduction to signing, newest first: the committees, the floor and the president. 19 actions.
- Oct 10, 2018Became lawBecame law · Became Public Law No: 115-262.
- Became lawBecame law · Signed by President.
- Oct 4, 2018FloorFloor · Presented to President.
- Sep 28, 2018FloorFloor · Correct Enrollment
- Sep 25, 2018FloorFloor · Motion to reconsider laid on the table Agreed to without objection.
- FloorFloor · On motion to suspend the rules and pass the bill Agreed to by voice vote.
- FloorFloor · DEBATE - The House proceeded with forty minutes of debate on S. 2553.
- FloorFloor · Considered under suspension of the rules.
- FloorFloor · Mr. Burgess moved to suspend the rules and pass the bill.
- Sep 8, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Sep 6, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Subcommittee on Health.
- Sep 5, 2018FloorFloor · Received in the House.
- FloorFloor · Message on Senate action sent to the House.
- CommitteeCommittee · Referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce, and in addition to the Committee on Ways and Means, for a period to be subsequently determined by the Speaker, in each case for consideration of such provisions as fall within the jurisdiction of the committee concerned.
- Sep 4, 2018FloorFloor · Passed Senate with an amendment and an amendment to the Title by Unanimous Consent.
- FloorFloor · Measure laid before Senate by unanimous consent.
- CommitteeCommittee · Senate Committee on Finance discharged by Unanimous Consent.
- Mar 14, 2018CommitteeCommittee · Read twice and referred to the Committee on Finance.
- IntroducedIntroduced · Introduced in Senate
Data notes
Every action the Library of Congress lists for the bill, from introduction to signing, plus the dated committee hearings. The source lists many steps twice (the chamber’s own entry and the Library of Congress copy, or a presidential and a became-law entry with the same words); those are shown once. Amendments are listed in their own section.
Amendments
2 amendments offered to the bill, with the last recorded step of each.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4010SenateSen. Debbie StabenowD-MI· offered Sep 4, 2018Agreed to
To amend the title.
Sep 4, 2018: Amendment SA 4010 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
- Agreed to
S.Amdt. 4009SenateSen. Debbie StabenowD-MI· offered Sep 4, 2018Agreed to
To improve the bill.
Sep 4, 2018: Amendment SA 4009 agreed to in Senate by Unanimous Consent.
Data notes
Amendments offered to this bill in either chamber, as the Library of Congress records them: each with a status read from its last recorded step: agreed to, rejected, withdrawn, ruled out of order, fell with another amendment, or offered with no vote recorded (most Senate amendments are only ever offered). The wording of each amendment is the source’s. Amendments to amendments and amendments to other bills are not listed.
Official record
The bill’s full text is on Congress.gov. Data through Oct 7, 2026.