H.B. 96 Ivermectin Amendments

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Every vote

• 12 yes, 0 no, 2 absentHouse Health and Human Services Committee: vote to change the bill · Feb 9, 2026Who voted how
• 5 yes, 7 no, 2 absentHouse Health and Human Services Committee: House vote, which failed · Feb 9, 2026Who voted how

Hearings and debates

• Feb 9, 2026 House Health and Human Services Committee▶ Watch
  Transcript (39 turns)

  1. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)2:55:09

     All right. Thank you Chair. Representative Lee Floor is yours, committee.

  2. Rep. Trevor Lee2:55:13

     Uh, this will hopefully be a quick bill in a good way. Uh, it's HB 96. Uh, really is quite simple with what it's asking and what the language of the bill has been subbed to do. Uh, the sub has already been adopt, been adopted, but one of the changes we made with this was instead of looking at an over the counter or a standing order for Ivermectin, we were just gonna go with an over the counter to pharmacies that want to carry it. If they want an option, they see a big demand, then they have the ability, if they so choose, to allow it to be an over the counter, uh, medication for those who want Ivermectin. Uh, there are currently five other states that offer this, uh, uh, offer Ivermectin. Um, one is a standing order for or over the counter. There are currently six states that are proposing similar legislation like this. Uh, we being one of those six, uh, there are a plethora of countries who already offer ivermectin over the counter. Uh, many being in places that have a lot of issues with parasites, including three European countries that offered over the counter, and many that did, uh, during COVID and have since looked at potentially making over the counter and are also debating that as we speak. So, uh, that is the bill before you today. Uh, it is a very simple bill if you know, we wanna make it over the counter or not. And, um, that is what I'm proposing to you. So I will sum with that. Thank you. That concludes your presentation. Yes.

  3. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)2:56:39

     All right. We'll bring it back to the committee for any clarifying questions. Representative Ward.

  4. Rep. Raymond P. Ward2:56:46

     Thank you. So in general United States, we do have a process for deciding which medicines should require a prescription and which should be available over the counter. Um, medicines that, um, start by prescription and wish to go over the counter, do have a process by which they can go through and say, well, this is a medicine that's safe enough to just have a person purchase it without having a discussion with the healthcare provider for its other interactions. Could you just speak a little bit, I mean, should we just break down all of those in general, or what makes this one medication enough different that we should say we're just gonna bypass that normal decision making process and for this medicine, just move it o over to the over the counter.

  5. Rep. Trevor Lee2:57:24

     Yeah, no, that's a really good que really good question. Uh, what we've seen recently is a spike demand for, uh, those who wanted ivermectin across the board. Uh, COVID-19 was one of the biggest, uh, times that we just saw recently where there was a huge demand effect. So much so we had a lot of, uh, people going to veterinarian clinics to get some of the ivermectin dosages. And that's not good for human consumption. It's not what you should be taking. You don't want to go with that amount. And so, uh, as more people have had that demand, they've been starting to use it for other things, not just for parasites. Uh, I am under the assumption, especially after the COVID period that we had, that people are looking to alternative forms of, of medications and things that they can take for some of their issues. I mean, heck, we just had, uh, you guys just heard something on something that is also potentially being looked at that is off brand from what the FD has approved and allows. Right. But, uh, with that being said, I think it comes down to choice. And we as a state are looking at these different choices. This is one of them that we are looking at currently right now. So I don't think it's just open to whatever we want, but if we see that it's not gonna have potential negative side effects to those, this is one of those medications that's been around a very long time. It's in a lot of different countries. We have plenty of data to back up a lot of the, uh, long-term use of ivermectin. And so I don't feel like this is just out of the blue, just open everything up.

  6. Rep. Raymond P. Ward2:58:41

     Okay. One more question if I might. Madam Chair? Yes, please. Go ahead. So most medicines, uh, well, all of them I guess that, that I know of when they're manufactured in the United States are manufactured very clearly labeled by prescription only, right? I mean, ivermectin capsules or tablets. Now, if you got them from a manufacturer, they would say that right on the box that this is only, uh, for prescription. So is it, is the thought that we would take those just from a regular manufacturer, um, and then the pharmacist would say, nevermind, it says that on the box, but I'm just gonna sell those to you over the counter. Or would these be compounded products? I mean, I, I, I see some of the other states that have liberalized their law. When I look to just see online what they're selling, they're selling compounded products. Compounds usually do also by definition in general, require a prescription. What sorts of preparations would we expect to be over the counter here?

  7. Rep. Trevor Lee2:59:35

     Well, I, I believe on this one, and that's a good question. Uh, chair, uh, what I would, what I would assume on this one is that, I mean, you can still prescribe it for certain pharmacies that don't want to carry over the counter. So you can still go get a prescription of this. Now from the other states that have it, whether, let's look at, like Arkansas for example. They have, uh, about five different manufacturers that are making, uh, the ivermectin that they are then going and purchasing to put, um, over their counter usage. Uh, those different ones have different amounts that they're looking at using depending on what, uh, people are in demand form and what they would like in, in the market. So I think you're still gonna have both options over the counter. Plus you're gonna have prescriptions that a pharmacist can still go get from a doctor.

  8. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:00:15

     Thanks. Thank you, Representative Ivory.

  9. Rep. Ken Ivory3:00:23

     I just wanted to say that during COVID, I was aware of a handful of doctors who had tried to prescribe Ivermectin for patients with COVI and the pharmacies refuse to fill the, the prescriptions. So there are a lot of problems going on with, for some reason with Ivermectin, I don't know what it is, but, uh, with all the states that are putting it over the counter and all the other countries that are doing it, I'd rather have people buying it from a pharmacy than, than buying it from the, um, from Cal Ranch. So I think it's probably a good idea.

  10. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:01:05

      Thank you. Any other clarifying questions?

  11. Unknown speaker3:01:12speaker not certain

      I have one real quick. Um, and I talked to you about this before, but, and so I don't know if you've found an answer for me, but, um, does Ivermectin, is there a tolerance level that we're worried about, not within a human, but within, like, 'cause they're four parasites. So if by prescribing this over the counter, are we gonna start some sort of a tolerance within parasitic levels, right? Like that's why we don't have antibiotics on the shelf, because you can get that, that, um, tolerance, the resistance, thank you.

  12. Rep. Trevor Lee3:01:46

      The, the antibiotic resistance. Well, we now start to develop an ivermectin resistance. So, um, after you did ask me this, I went and researched and looked it up and we have data on that from the other countries that have had this over the counter for decades and decades and decades and decades. And they have not seen the ca that be the case. They've not seen an issue with the tolerance they said with animals. They do see it, um, as it's prescribed all the time, and they're always going through different types of parasites that they do see an issue with tolerance for certain animals. But in humans, they have not seen that be the case in countries who take it for the parasites specifically on a much bigger basis than we would have here in America. And so that being the case, if they're not having an issue with the tolerance and they're having a ton of parasites, then from what I've read on the data, we shouldn't have a problem with that here in America.

  13. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:02:35

      Okay. Thank you. All right. I'm not seeing any further questions. We'll take it to the public for comment. Is there anyone that would like to comment on this? So we've got 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and one online. So we'll go with 60 seconds. We're already over time. Sorry everybody. All right. Go ahead and remember to state your name. When the person next to you is, is speaking, please fill out the paper. Alright,

  14. John Taylor3:03:03

      Thank you. My name is John Taylor. I represent myself. Um, I work for drug manufacturers too. I understand the FDA has protocol. You're looking at efficacy and safety of a randomized control trial. You're submitting a claim, but that does not preclude the opportunity for clinicians to write medications off label. Ozempic was indicated for diabetes only, but there was a cardiovascular benefit and a weight benefit. So prescribers started writing it for weight loss and benefit. Then the drug manufacturer says, let's do, let's get a, do a randomized control trial and get a kill a claim for that. So that becomes an indication. So the point is, doctors have the ability to write off label BA based on their rest of judgment. And, um, and so ivermectin because of the long safety profile, I mean it's been out for many years just because it does not have a claim for specific indication doesn't not, doesn't mean that there's not a benefit transitory benefit in other areas. And so I think it's a good bill to pass and just make it available.

  15. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:04:02

      Thank you John. Alright, Go ahead. Thank you Madam

  16. Michelle McOmber, Utah Medical Association3:04:05

      Chair Michelle MCC with the Utah Medical Association. We oppose this bill. Ivermectin has a role in treatment of specific parasitic diseases, but using it without guidance can harm the people who take it. Overdosing can cause symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, hypotension, dnea, ataxia, seizures, and even death. Ivermectin interacts with other medications and person may be taken, can cause serious side effects by changing how the body metabolizes them, increasing the effect of the blood thinner sedatives and other medic uh, medications. We did not find any information on other, um, countries, especially European countries that do over the counter. In fact, some of them just barely approved prescription ivermectin and didn't have the ivermectin before. You are seeing uses of it in for parasites in some of the third world countries. But again, not over the counter. And then also there are only four states that have passed. Three have passed over the counter one has passed by a standing order. Thank you.

  17. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:05:00

      Thank you. Alright, go ahead.

  18. Rebecca Blair-Stephenson, Utah Nurses Association3:05:02

      Hi, Rebecca Blair Stevenson, Utah Nurses Association. Um, FDA has only approved ivermectin for, uh, two very specific gi um, uh, parasitic infections for internal use and for external use for lice and rosacea. Um, in addition to being a nurse, I'm also a, um, master's prepared epidemiologist from Columbia University. The data that is available is bad data. The method methodologies are not appropriate, uh, scientifically speaking. Um, in the United States, there has only been a handful of studies on, um, use of Iver ivermectin in humans. And, um, the largest scale study was a 6,000, uh, person study randomized, controlled, controlled trial that says there was no, um, benefit and unequivocal evidence associated with ivermectin use in humans. Thank you.

  19. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:06:02

      Thank you, Rebecca. Okay, go ahead now.

  20. Neil Schultz3:06:05

      Thank you Madam Chair for the opportunity to speak. My name is Neil Schultz and I'm speaking in favor of this bill. Uh, the first comment that I wanna make is this particular drug probably represents the true definition of safe and effective. Um, it's been around for a long time during C-O-V-I-D-I-I, my association with natural medicine. I saw a lot of people using this. I saw a lot of people get well with this. Um, speaking to the opportunity of prescription or not, I think that, that there should be various grades, but I think it's something in the form that's readily available, um, in a, in a lower dosage is, is totally appropriate in this case to to use for the, uh, for the general public. I think the people who would use this in general probably are such a small percentage of the population, but again, we would like to have that choice. Thank you.

  21. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:06:58

      Thank you, Neil. All right, go ahead.

  22. Delayne England3:07:00

      Hi, Delaine England. Um, this is really about what has been spoken about. The right to try this just fits under right to try it is all about self-determination for our own personal healthcare, making those decisions for ourself. You guys just voted to legalize peyote. You voted in favor of having psychotropic drugs, legal in the state, um, people in other countries. It, as has been stated, it's legal. I Uintah Egypt. I walked into any pharmacy, bought it, so inexpensive, dirt cheap. No, you know, you have to have your id. You don't have to have a prescription. It's very easy to come from come by and people are using it, you know, regularly. Um, the, to me, the only reason to oppose this is to keep the control of it and the cost. And so I ask you to please support it. Thank you.

  23. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:07:50

      Thank you, Delaine. Go ahead.

  24. Dr. Jennifer Brinton3:07:56

      Thank you Madam Chair and members of the committee. I'm Dr. Jennifer Brenton, a pediatrician. Um, I care for young children and young adults throughout Utah. And I, I'm speaking against this bill, um, as, as brought by many of the people. Um, when you have something that has a biologic effect, you can induce resistance. Ivermectin is used internationally as a once yearly dose for a lot of its uses, so you don't have an extended amount of time that that's in the system. I agree that people should have opportunities to use this medicine, but just like the peyote, it's not gonna be an over the counter medication. It's gonna be something that's that's prescribed with, um, people who know what to look for. We wanna make sure that we're making, that we're, um, not having bad interactions that can increase the effect of the ivermectin in a, in a way that could be negative for people or increase the effect of other drugs that we're making sure that we're discussing this with women who might be pregnant or nursing as there can be effects that way too. So I do recommend we keep this as a prescription medication. Thank you.

  25. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:08:46

      Thank you. All right. Do we have anyone online say, and we have one online. Eric Milliken. Hello, can you hear me? Yes, go ahead Eric.

  26. Eric Millican3:09:11

      Okay, thank you. Hi, I'm a dermatologist. I work at the University of Utah, speaking for myself. I use Ivermectin off-label for rosacea. We use it on label for well or off-label for treating scabies as well. I, I want to clarify a couple of things. For one, it is not over the counter in western European countries. It was briefly an emergency use authorization during COVID that was then rescinded whenever it became clear it was not effective. It might be over the counter in some loosely regulated countries, but so is oxycodone and I don't think that we want to go down the road if everybody gets to try whatever they want, just whenever they want. I do have concerns about this bill. I think Dr. Ward, uh, raised the issue that we, we have an FDA process for moving things over the counter, and it is used, we have Pepcid over the counter now because it's safe and effective, but that process allows them to look at all of the data to ask for more studies where there's a gap. But also it allows 'em to look at the label and make sure the average consumer can adequately understand the risk and benefits and the proper use. I worry that this is a medicine that interacts with blood thinners like warfarin, and we're gonna just allow it over the counter with only the package insert that's geared towards medical professionals to guide patients. That's a dangerous idea. Um, I think it's not a, it's not a way that we want to approach this as a Patrick of states instead of the regulated process we have. Thanks.

  27. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:10:21

      Thank you. Eric, for the record, can you just state your name as well? Sorry.

  28. Eric Millican3:10:24

      Yeah, no, you got it. Eric Milliken. Thank You. Thanks.

  29. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:10:27

      All right. Okay. I'm not seeing any further comments. We'll bring it back to the Committee for Possible action. And there, there is a sub, or you already adopted the sub, sub already adopted? I don't think so. Is It not adopted? I don't think so. We need Adopted the sub. Sorry, The other one better.

  30. Rep. Kristen Chevrier3:10:56

      Uh, Representative Shelley. Sorry, I forgot the number. 96. 96. Okay. I move that we adopt this first substitute for HB 96.

  31. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:11:09

      All right, that motion is in order. And we'll take it to the committee for any questions to the, to the sponsor Representative Lee?

  32. Rep. Trevor Lee3:11:23

      No, I, I think, uh, this, the sub, the sub is what is the, is the major change we had from a standing order to over the counter, so I approve that motion.

  33. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:11:32

      Okay. All right. We'll bring it back to the committee for a vote on that motion to adopt sub one of HB 96. All in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Aye. Any opposed? Seeing none that passes. Go ahead. Okay. All right, Representative Shelley, Keep going. HB 93 96, what was it? 96, thanks.

  34. Rep. Kristen Chevrier3:12:08

      Okay, I move that we favorably recommend HB 96 as substitute, uh, substitute one. A substitute. Yeah, Thanks. Okay.

  35. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:12:19

      All right. The motion is that we favorably recommend HB 96 as substituted. Any discussion to that motion? Not seeing any. We'll go to the sponsor for the final word.

  36. Rep. Trevor Lee3:12:36

      Yes. Thank you. Um, and thank you for the discussion on this bill. I, you know, I, I look at this as a choice that we are giving many who I know who wanted to get ivermectin during COVID. Uh, I know a lot who are using this now. I've had a lot of individuals reach out to me requesting that this is something that we do to follow suit from some of these other states. Uh, I believe that if, if this is something that has been around for a long time and there's been a lot of countries who have done this, uh, then we have a lot of information, know that there are not serious harmful side effects to taking Ivermectin. Um, as you know, mentioned from a common, it's safe and effective as it gets, uh, you look at some of the, uh, potential concerns that we might have with this bill and I have looked at other states that have had this for at least two to three years, and they're not having some of those issues that have been talked about. And so I would, uh, urge for your support on this bill.

  37. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:13:28

      All right. Thank you. We'll bring it back to the committee for vote. We're gonna do a roll call vote on this one. And so the motion is to favorably adopt HB 96 as substituted. We'll do roll call. 16. Oh, sorry. I'm like, what? Okay, slate. Pardon? Here we go. Oh, sorry. Let me, let Board, let Me, sorry. Let me let Representative Shelley sum real quick. I forgot.

  38. Rep. Troy Shelley3:14:06

      I'll let, let representatives, if you wanna sum, I just Wanted to say, I had a lot of constituents reach out to me about this prior to the session, and I think that it's always wise to read package inserts before you use medications. And that we just approved two bills that were about choice. And this is one more that is about choice. And I would encourage a yes vote on this bill. Thank you.

  39. Rep. Katy Hall (presiding)3:14:35

      Thank you. Sorry. We're gonna, we're gonna go for one more comment. Representative Clancy, or maybe he accidentally Nevermind. Nevermind. Okay, we will now do a vote on this. All right. The vote, the motion is to approve HB 96 as substituted ivermectin amendments with a favorable recommendation. Okay. Roll call vote. Representative Ward. No. Representative Hollins, no representative. Gracious. Yes. Representative Fitsu. No. Representative Eliason. No. Representative Daley Provo. No. Representative Clancy? Yes. Representative Shelley. Yes. Representative Acton? No. Representative Abbott. Representative Monson? Yes. Chair Hall, It won't matter. So, um, I'm a no. That motion fails. Seven to five. All right. Okay. Thank you, committee. And we'll take one final motion. Motion To adjourn. That. Motion is an order. Uh, all in favor say aye. Aye. Aye. Alright.