[{"_1":2,"_100":-5,"_101":-5},"loaderData",{"_3":4,"_26":27},"root",{"_5":6,"_17":10,"_18":19,"_20":21,"_22":10,"_23":-5,"_24":-5,"_25":10},"user",{"_7":8,"_9":10,"_11":10,"_12":-5,"_13":-5,"_14":15,"_16":-5},"roles",[],"isAuthenticated",false,"isPremium","planName","subscriptionStatus","featureFlags",{},"insightsBudget","isDevelopmentHost","userPreferences",{},"recaptchaSiteKey","6LcvOJcUAAAAAHsB-gPGfGktcRlKpH7OTIU_dMTD","isImpersonating","impersonation","affiliateStatus","isFreedomPortal","routes/v2/article/layout",{"_28":29,"_30":31},"notFound",true,"relatedArticles",[32,76,88],{"_33":34,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":40,"_41":42,"_43":44,"_45":46,"_47":48,"_49":50,"_51":52,"_53":54,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":60,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":66,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},"mediaId",6035353,"mediaKeyId","5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2","parentId",5101284,"title","Votes at a glance: Committee actions on bills (April 2, 2025)","audioSeconds",280,"startMs",5904000,"endMs",6184000,"viewUrl","/Search/View?dp=1&key=5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2&start=5904&end=6184","thumbnailUrl","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2/thumbnail_5904000.jpg","articleUrl","/articles/6035353/Hawaii/Votes-at-a-glance-Committee-actions-on-bills-April-2-2025","mediaUrl","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035353-3d276403ea5388dfd973abbaf805f86a/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160823&Signature=RM4jeRealcV7QGJt5E6poIGGxB73eVpYMx~kQvf-nwsHPWJ8reIecH75iP7~quH6ZM5cO6ZjmrZ4F5zCJ0EMdYptR3hkX-7tQgOu1FzqPbYZrm6CgIZqziIebBeKmB6X7jVZJDhjFshYOQ5jkED3rEDyOOsz9Nub0BL0DzzS~SwJX0AYhUp-~aAQCzsRM77skHosHWNSQoOPFbcOebDHa1LdnJPhZaUqq1RiTuTIGEqmH2-TNF1VhK2xI0nZX13ytccJ3hTU7sNghDPsyoPMCHmNhKMLpRx8P8EEI8htRsb9oTp0uEHFcQWr6wONJiuWleb-qrOOIthuGOFUNZkouw__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","author","House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce","date","2025-04-02T00:00:00Z","article","SB 10 46 SD1 (condominiums) — Deferred
Chair deferred SB 10 46 SD1, relating to condominiums, pending the Legislative Reference Bureau study due June 2026.

SB 8 90 SD2 HD1 (business regulation — poi labeling) — Passed with amendments
Chair recommended deleting a subsection that would have required locally grown poi to carry a mandatory label; mainland poi must be labeled as not from Hawaii and a definition of kalo will be inserted. Committee adopted the recommendation and the bill passed out of committee.

SB 5 32 SD2 HD1 (Department of Education — student medication administration) — Passed with amendments
The committee adopted Department of Health proposed amendments clarifying student identification practices for medication administration; the chair noted identity verification language was important for safety.

SB 12 45 SD2 HD1 (pharmacist reimbursement) — Passed with amendments
Committee adopted Hawaii Pharmacists Association amendments (see separate article). The measure advances with clarifications about credentialing and contracting but does not mandate payer reimbursement rates.

SB 12 79 SD2 HD1 (telepharmacy / pharmacists) — Passed as introduced (committee to convene parties)
After extended testimony from Lanai and Molokai stakeholders and the Board of Pharmacy, the chair recommended passage but said she will convene involved parties to address disputed operational and contractual issues; several members recorded reservations.

SB 12 98 SD2 HD1 (recycling) — Passed with amendments
Committee adopted Department of Health proposed amendments to give DOH discretion over penalties and deleted language that would have sought to identify the approximate age of electronics received at collection sites.

SB 4 43 SD1 HD1 (agricultural lands / wind power) — Passed with amendments
Chair recommended including agricultural lands that host wind power in the measure; the committee adopted the amendment and passed the bill out of committee.

These committee actions were recorded during the April 2, 2025 hearing of the House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce. Several measures were advanced with amendments and a mix of reservations; the chair scheduled follow-up and inter‑party convenings for at least one contested item.","mediaType","Video","parentTitle","CPC Public Hearing - Wed Apr 2, 2025 @ 2:00 PM HST","oneSentenceSummary","The House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce took final committee action on multiple bills on April 2, 2025. Below are outcomes and brief notes from the hearing record.","taxTitle","House Committee on Consumer Protection & Commerce, House of Representatives, Legislative , Hawaii","taxId",25710,"location","Hawaii","headline","","shortSummary",{"_33":77,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":78,"_41":79,"_43":80,"_45":81,"_47":82,"_49":83,"_51":84,"_53":85,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":86,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":87,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6035358,"Committee backs bill to let pharmacists bill medical benefit, but leaves details to payers",4855,1185000,6040000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2&start=1185&end=6040","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2/thumbnail_1185000.jpg","/articles/6035358/Hawaii/Committee-backs-bill-to-let-pharmacists-bill-medical-benefit-but-leaves-details-to-payers","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035358-fbedbcc3f39b005edb50329f3744d52b/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160823&Signature=mvmsFPZ~BG5JeRSj9AveJc6fASxlf7YDBLTw9lIBSV2XB58PzIFZSEWcLKAyfZS0q2Vngt2n4YH0CPq9Adh-RFUvl1xtGlbBtcPAMKImhnAgueqXIx57Gj1V48kgBU-C9m0ruXi2-3FpePCOXFwBQcKP8zSF5QqkIDaP90kykzz4iYTvem-WlZ~2-dyrc-bgnxDSAVQoeVBuxllmY1nj7c75MDwH--CweTNhrM7IFt1964D1TL7vu0d93DcT3Tixf5id2HoaMmjpWDU2FigCVo0BzV~R5XsLvYkCuR3T1Rl5wL7~we3qkZdfb4IW~w0xvHl7QM1cTcRl077lEg24DQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce voted to pass SB 12 45 SD2 HD1 with amendments after testimony from health systems, colleges of pharmacy, pharmacy associations and the Department of Health.

Ray Matsumoto, dean at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, testified the bill would help recruit and retain pharmacists and improve access to chronic disease management, saying it would “allow pharmacists to be able to get reimbursed for clinical services that they are already trained and licensed to provide.” The University of Hawaii College of Pharmacy and the Board of Pharmacy testified in support.

Corey Sanders, director of the Hawaii Pharmacists Association, proposed amendments aimed at ensuring payers cannot deny benefits when a licensed pharmacist provides services under chapter 461 (the pharmacy practice act) and that pharmacists may contract with plans if they meet standard credentialing requirements. Sanders told the committee those credentialing standards can vary by setting and should generally be left to payers to determine.

Karen Pellegrut, a faculty member at the Daniel K. Inouye College of Pharmacy, cited results from a federally funded program in which pharmacists managing high‑risk patients statewide reportedly achieved a 264% return on investment and strong patient satisfaction (92% reported improved health and 100% said the services helped keep them out of the hospital). Pharmacy students and faculty also testified about workforce retention concerns and the value of leveraging pharmacists in team‑based care.

Members questioned whether the bill would require payers to accept pharmacists and whether credentialing and contracting hurdles would persist. Supporters said one amendment prohibits plans from denying a pharmacist the ability to contract if standard credentialing requirements are met; however, the bill does not compel payers to adopt payment rates.

After discussion the committee adopted amendments proposed by the Hawaii Pharmacists Association and advanced SB 12 45 SD2 HD1.","The committee passed SB 12 45 SD2 HD1 with amendments aimed at enabling pharmacists to be reimbursed for clinical services and to access payer networks when they meet credentialing standards, supporters said the bill could expand access and reduce costs while payers sought clarifications.",{"_33":89,"_35":36,"_37":38,"_39":90,"_41":91,"_43":92,"_45":93,"_47":94,"_49":95,"_51":96,"_53":97,"_55":56,"_57":58,"_59":98,"_61":62,"_63":64,"_65":99,"_67":68,"_69":70,"_71":72,"_73":74,"_75":74},6035363,"Committee advances telepharmacy bill after heated testimony from Lanai and Molokai stakeholders",4144,2006000,6150000,"/Search/View?dp=1&key=5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2&start=2006&end=6150","https://assets.pipeline.soar.com/5101284-2a9fd42cf18132b068c334d9acf15fb2/thumbnail_2006000.jpg","/articles/6035363/Hawaii/Committee-advances-telepharmacy-bill-after-heated-testimony-from-Lanai-and-Molokai-stakeholders","https://secure.pipeline.soar.com/6035363-378f416499ad79cc4ed5daea05d866e4/orig.mp4?Expires=1771160823&Signature=DfHvNJ9JMbJ4dbwQuAELrhr8c9cx-UZoIIRvLuUSXCZcDJrIG6j8My700lt0mjMTwpNNM3s1OOT3yE2GjLXRkrBDPwEo2eV7CxaUaep48-woTrRvQw~VuA43B7wsNHYdRQyOR7Ek8xyFfA4cWQhPtjm7SejntpUUnoYcwXIVRX8nxQN0HJODJwri1kZwbNXQiqO6zoCY8tTezQ-Xbzyro6FlzBrpENQ4l~G2lsVXkp-RXcvprv0cvAj6JMb9ejFiMd556Fhv1DJGfNB5M9eXwSfrpBJ2-bnMK6jlWciLqgbhjXgdHRGShCt2iOSbRgnM3ZkMeJXYpKY8in62PKy1rQ__&Key-Pair-Id=KUT5TJCACFTXG","The House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce voted to pass SB 12 79 SD2 HD1 as introduced after extended public testimony from Lanai, Molokai and statewide stakeholders and an exchange with the Board of Pharmacy.

The measure drew testimony from multiple island providers and patient-advocacy groups about the impact of telepharmacy and the federal 340B drug-pricing program on small, on‑island pharmacies. Romy Glidewell, health care division administrator for the Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, told the committee the department supports the bill and wants the option to “interact via telehealth” with Mainland pharmacists because the department’s bulk pharmacy is on the Mainland.

Eric Avi, testifying for the Hawaii Primary Care Association, described the financial impact on Lanai patients under current arrangements. He said that in February 2024 Lanai Community Health Center filled more than 4,000 prescriptions; about 1,781 of those were for uninsured or underinsured patients and, using a sliding fee scale, the difference in retail cost compared with the center’s discounted charges totaled about $374,020.71, or roughly $210 per prescription.

Board of Pharmacy Chair Alana Isobe opposed the bill in part on safety grounds and said the board had received error reports from the prior pilot project. When asked about harm, Isobe said the pilot project participants “claim nobody was harmed,” but that errors (wrong dose, wrong strength, wrong patient) were reported and were part of the board’s concern.

Local pharmacists and residents from Lanai and Molokai urged the committee to protect face‑to‑face community pharmacies. Kurt Schuster, owner of Rainbow Pharmacy on Lanai, said his business is integrated into the community and pledged continued service: “We have a pharmacy here, and…we're still gonna be here to help everyone.” Resident Roger Alpensil highlighted language and accessibility benefits, saying the local pharmacy provides in‑person support for kupuna and non‑English speakers.

Representatives for Molokai Drugs described logistics challenges from mail‑order pharmacies, including delayed deliveries and temperature exposure for temperature‑sensitive medicines, and said their island had operated without a 340B pharmacy in recent years. Testimony from Molokai noted that local post office hours and mail delays have sometimes left patients without timely access to medication.

Committee members pressed the Board of Pharmacy and health-center representatives about prior pilot‑project error reports, verification of harm, and whether patients could easily choose to fill prescriptions at a local pharmacy. The board said the pilot project, which lasted longer than intended, reported errors and that concern over those errors contributed to ending the pilot.

After public testimony and member questions the committee’s chair said she would convene the parties to resolve the disputes but recommended the committee pass the bill “as is for now.” Members registered votes with reservations; the recommendation was adopted and the bill advanced.

The committee said it will arrange follow-up meetings among the board, community pharmacies and the health center to identify administrative or contractual solutions and to try to avoid further litigation or unintended impacts on community pharmacies.","The House Committee on Consumer Protection and Commerce voted to pass SB 12 79 SD2 HD1, a bill concerning telepharmacy and related pharmacy contracting arrangements, after extensive testimony from rural island pharmacists, health centers and the Board of Pharmacy. The committee said it will convene parties to resolve outstanding disputes.","actionData","errors"]

Article not found

Votes at a glance: Committee actions on bills (April 2, 2025)

Committee backs bill to let pharmacists bill medical benefit, but leaves details to payers

Committee advances telepharmacy bill after heated testimony from Lanai and Molokai stakeholders