SB1279 • 2026

RELATING TO PHARMACISTS.

Active

The official status still shows this bill as active or still awaiting another formal step.

Sponsor: AQUINO, CHANG, FEVELLA, GABBARD, SAN BUENAVENTURA
Last action: 2026-04-02
Official status: Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
Effective date: Not listed

Plain English Breakdown

Using official source text because the generated explanation was unavailable or could not be confirmed against the official bill text.

RELATING TO PHARMACISTS.

What This Bill Does

RELATING TO PHARMACISTS.
Telepharmacy; Pharmacists; Medically Underserved Patients Authorizes a registered pharmacist under contract with a covered entity for purposes of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to supervise the filling or receipt of a prescription via telehealth in certain circumstances.
Effective 7/1/3000.
(HD1)

Limits and Unknowns

This entry is temporarily using official source text because the generated explanation could not be confirmed against the official bill text during the last sync.

Amendments

These notes stay tied to the official amendment files and metadata from the legislature.

HD1

Hawaii published version HD1

Plain English: SB1279 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB1279 HD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
1279 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII H.D.

SD1

Hawaii published version SD1

Plain English: SB1279 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.

SB1279 SD1 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
1279 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
1 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACISTS .

SD2

Hawaii published version SD2

Plain English: SB1279 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.

SB1279 SD2 THE SENATE S.B.
NO.
1279 THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025 S.D.
2 STATE OF HAWAII A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO PHARMACISTS .

Bill History

2026-04-02 S
Received notice of the discharge of all House Conferees (Hse. Com. No. 457).
2026-04-01 H
House Conferee(s) discharged.
2026-03-20 H
Received notice of all Senate conferees being discharged (Sen. Com. No. 409).
2026-03-20 S
Senate Conferee(s) discharged.
2025-12-08 D
Carried over to 2026 Regular Session.
2025-04-22 S
Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-23-25 3:30PM; Conference Room 329.
2025-04-16 H
Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 809).
2025-04-16 S
Senate Conferees Appointed: San Buenaventura Chair; Keohokalole Co-Chair; Hashimoto, Fevella.
2025-04-15 S
Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 731).
2025-04-14 H
House Conferees Appointed: Takayama, Matayoshi Co-Chairs; Alcos.
2025-04-08 H
Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 774).
2025-04-08 S
Senate disagrees with House amendments.
2025-04-08 S
Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 603).
2025-04-04 H
Passed Third Reading with Representative(s) Iwamoto voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Kapela excused (2). Transmitted to Senate.
2025-04-04 H
Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1971), recommending passage on Third Reading.
2025-04-02 H
The committee on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, UNAMENDED. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Matayoshi, Chun, Ilagan, Ichiyama, Lowen; Ayes with reservations: Representative(s) Iwamoto, Kong, Marten, Tam; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) Pierick.
2025-03-31 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Wednesday, 04-02-25 2:00PM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-03-21 H
Passed Second Reading as amended in HD 1 and referred to the committee(s) on CPC with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Cochran, Garrett, Kapela, Kitagawa, Ward excused (5).
2025-03-21 H
Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1419) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
2025-03-19 H
The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 9 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Chun, Marten, Olds, Takenouchi, Alcos, Garcia; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 0 Excused: none.
2025-03-14 H
Bill scheduled to be heard by HLT on Wednesday, 03-19-25 9:05AM in House conference room 329 VIA VIDEOCONFERENCE.
2025-03-06 H
Referred to HLT, CPC, referral sheet 19
2025-03-06 H
Pass First Reading
2025-03-04 H
Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 291) in amended form (SD 2).
2025-03-04 S
Report adopted; Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 2). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House.
2025-02-27 S
48 Hrs. Notice 03-04-25.
2025-02-27 S
Reported from CPN (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 741) with recommendation of passage on Third Reading, as amended (SD 2).
2025-02-20 S
The committee(s) on CPN recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPN were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) Keohokalole, Fukunaga, McKelvey, Awa; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Richards.
2025-02-14 S
The committee(s) on CPN will hold a public decision making on 02-20-25 9:30AM; Conference Room 229 & Videoconference.
2025-02-14 S
Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referred to CPN.
2025-02-14 S
Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 516) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and referral to CPN.
2025-02-05 S
The committee(s) on HHS recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in HHS were as follows: 4 Aye(s): Senator(s) San Buenaventura, Aquino, Hashimoto, Keohokalole; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Fevella.
2025-01-31 S
The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 02-05-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.
2025-01-27 S
Referred to HHS, CPN.
2025-01-23 S
Introduced and passed First Reading.
2025-01-21 S
Pending Introduction.

Official Summary Text

RELATING TO PHARMACISTS.
Telepharmacy; Pharmacists; Medically Underserved Patients
Authorizes a registered pharmacist under contract with a covered entity for purposes of the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to supervise the filling or receipt of a prescription via telehealth in certain circumstances. Effective 7/1/3000. (HD1)

Current Bill Text

Read the full stored bill text

SB1279

THE SENATE

S.B. NO.

1279

THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE, 2025

STATE OF HAWAII

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating
to pharmacISTS
.

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

����
SECTION 1.
�
Chapter 461, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as
follows:

����
"
�461-
��
��
Telepharmacy; limited authorization for
medically underserved patients.
�
(a)
�
A
registered pharmacist who is under contract with a covered entity may oversee
the filling or receipt of a prescription for sale or distribution via
telehealth by way of an interactive telecommunication system if:

����
(1)
�
The patient for
whom the medication is prescribed is located at a facility operated by the
covered entity;

����
(2)
�
The covered
entity obtained a pharmacy license for, or applied for the relocation of a
pharmacy license to, that facility; and

����
(3)
�
The contracted
pharmacist is not located at that facility.

����
(b)
�
For purposes of this section:

����
"Covered entity" has
the same meaning as defined in section 340B(a)(4) of the Public Health Service
Act (42 United States Code section 256b, et seq.).

����
"Interactive
telecommunications system" has the same meaning as defined in title 42
Code of Federal Regulations section 410.78(a).

����
"Telehealth" means the
use of telecommunications services, as defined in section 269-1, including
real-time audio and video conferencing-based communication, secure interactive
and non‑interactive web-based communication, and secure asynchronous
information exchange, to transmit patient medical information for the purpose
of delivering enhanced health care services and information while a patient is
at an originating site and the health care provider is at a distant site.
"

����
SECTION
2
.
�
Section 461-9, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is
amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

����
"(a)
�
A registered pharmacist shall be in personal
and immediate charge of the pharmacy and personnel employed in the
pharmacy.
�
Temporary absences of the
registered pharmacist shall be unlawful except for periods of time and under
circumstances as authorized under the rules of the board.
�
[
During
]
Except as provided in
section 461- , during
any absence of the registered
pharmacist, prescriptions may not be filled, compounded, or received by
telephone and no drugs shall be sold; provided that this shall not preclude the
sale at those times of things that might be sold were the pharmacy a store not
subject to this chapter.
�
No person other
than a registered pharmacist or a pharmacy intern under the registered
pharmacist's immediate supervision shall fill or compound prescriptions except
as provided by subsection (c)[
.
]
and section 461- .
"

����
SECTION
3.
�
This Act does not affect rights and
duties that matured, penalties that were incurred, and proceedings that were
begun before its effective date.

����
SECTION
4.
�
Statutory material to be repealed is
bracketed and stricken.
�
New statutory
material is underscored.

����
SECTION 5.
�
This Act shall take effect upon its approval.

INTRODUCED BY:

_____________________________

Report Title:

Telepharmacy;
Pharmacists; Medically Underserved Patients

Description:

Authorizes
a registered pharmacist under contract with a covered entity for purposes of
the federal 340B Drug Pricing Program to supervise via telehealth the filling
or receipt of a prescription in certain circumstances.

The summary description
of legislation appearing on this page is for informational purposes only and is
not legislation or evidence of legislative intent.