SB 2857: Pharmacy; Pharmacists; Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Special Fund; Pharmacist Workforce Assessment Fees; Appropriation

A BILL FOR AN ACT

relating to pharmacy.

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

     SECTION 1.  The legislature finds there is a need to support the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy to ensure the quality of health care and improve access to care for the people of the State.  With further resources, the college can proactively address issues of the State's current health care crisis and leverage pharmacists to fill gaps in care related to medication management.  Pharmacists are the most accessible health care providers and strongly embedded as a trusted resource in many remote communities.  The college could leverage pharmacists across the health care spectrum to recruit and retain highly qualified pharmacists to practice in the State, create a plan for an innovative pharmacy practice model, and serve as the resource for the pharmacy profession as the medical system shifts to a value and team-based care model where pharmacy will play an integral role in patient outcomes.

     The purpose of this Act is to establish a pharmacist workforce assessment fee to fund activities of the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy to support pharmacist workforce assessment and planning efforts.

     SECTION 2.  Chapter 304A, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to part V, subpart C, to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§304A-     Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund.  (a)  There is established the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund, to be administered and expended by the university of Hawaii.

     (b)  The following shall be deposited into the special fund:

     (1)  Appropriations by the legislature;

     (2)  Pharmacist workforce assessment fees established pursuant to section 461-   ;

     (3)  Grants, donations, gifts, or other income received for the purposes of the special fund; and

     (4)  Interest earned or accrued on moneys in the special fund.

     (c)  Moneys in the special fund shall be used to support the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy's activities related to pharmacist workforce assessment and planning within the State; provided that the pharmacist workforce assessment fees transferred and deposited into the special fund pursuant to section 461-    shall be used to support pharmacist workforce assessment and planning efforts, including the recruitment and retention of pharmacists, for rural and medically underserved areas of the State.  These efforts shall include but not be limited to:

     (1)  Maintaining accurate pharmacist workforce assessment information and providing or updating personal and professional information, which shall be maintained in a secure database;

     (2)  Providing loan repayment to pharmacists who commit to working in medically underserved areas of the State as part of the Hawaii state loan repayment program administered by the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy; and

     (3)  Providing scholarships to qualifying pharmacy students, to be determined by the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy.

     (d)  The Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy may disclose information specific to any pharmacist only with the express written consent of that pharmacist."

     SECTION 3.  Chapter 461, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by adding a new section to be appropriately designated and to read as follows:

     "§461-     Pharmacist workforce assessment fee.  (a)  There shall be assessed upon every license and permit issued by the board a pharmacist workforce assessment fee, as determined under subsection (b), that shall be transferred and deposited into the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund established under section 304A-   .

     (b)  The pharmacist workforce assessment fee shall be as follows:

     (1)  $          , for each renewed license as a pharmacist;

     (2)  $          , for each new or renewed wholesale prescription drug distributor license;

     (3)  $          , for each new or renewed pharmacy permit under section 461-14; and

     (4)  $          , for each new or renewed permit under section 461-15."

     SECTION 4.  Section 461-8, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsections (a) and (b) to read as follows:

     "(a)  All licenses and permits issued by the board, except temporary licenses issued under section 461-7, shall be renewed biennially on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year.  Failure to pay the biennial fee and pharmacist workforce assessment fee and to satisfy the continuing education requirement on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year, shall constitute a forfeiture of the license as of the date of expiration.  Failure to pay the biennial fee and pharmacist workforce assessment fee on or before December 31 of each odd-numbered year shall constitute a forfeiture of the permit as of the date of expiration.

     (b)  Any license or permit forfeited pursuant to subsection (a) may be restored within three years upon payment of any penalty fee, the current biennial fees, and the renewal fee and pharmacist workforce assessment fee for the next biennium, if applicable, upon submission of proof of compliance with the continuing education requirement for the prior biennium, and upon meeting any other requirements specified in rules adopted pursuant to chapter 91."

     SECTION 5.  Section 461-16, Hawaii Revised Statutes, is amended by amending subsection (a) to read as follows:

     "(a)  The board shall collect application, license, and permit fees and the pharmacist workforce assessment fee for each permit to operate a pharmacy or for each license to operate as a wholesale prescription drug distributor and a fee for the issuance of a permit in accordance with section 461-15(a)(1), (5), (6) and (7)."

     SECTION 6.  The director of commerce and consumer affairs shall disburse on a quarterly basis from the compliance resolution fund, established pursuant to section 26-9(o), Hawaii Revised Statutes, to the credit of the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund established pursuant to section 304A-   , Hawaii Revised Statutes, all moneys collected from the pharmacist workforce assessment fee assessed pursuant to section 461-   , Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     SECTION 7.  There is appropriated out of the compliance resolution fund the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 to be deposited into the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund established pursuant to section 304A-   , Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sum shall be reimbursed from the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund to the compliance resolution fund by July 1,     .

     SECTION 8.  There is appropriated out of the Daniel K. Inouye college of pharmacy special fund the sum of $           or so much thereof as may be necessary for fiscal year 2026-2027 for the purposes of the special fund as authorized under section 304A-   (c), Hawaii Revised Statutes.

     The sum appropriated shall be expended by the university of Hawaii for the purposes of this Act.

     SECTION 9.  Statutory material to be repealed is bracketed and stricken.  New statutory material is underscored.

     SECTION 10.  This Act shall take effect on July 1, 2026.

Report Title:

Pharmacy; Pharmacists; Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Special Fund; Pharmacist Workforce Assessment Fees; Appropriation

Description:

Establishes the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy Special Fund to support pharmacist workforce assessment and planning efforts.  Establishes the pharmacist workforce assessment fee.  Appropriates funds.

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