CONFERENCE COMMITTEE REP. NO. 67

Honolulu, Hawaii

                 , 2013

RE:    H.B. No. 652

       S.D. 2

       C.D. 1

Honorable Joseph M. Souki

Speaker, House of Representatives

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Honorable Donna Mercado Kim

President of the Senate

Twenty-Seventh State Legislature

Regular Session of 2013

State of Hawaii

Sir and Madam:

     Your Committee on Conference on the disagreeing vote of the House of Representatives to the amendments proposed by the Senate in H.B. No. 652, S.D. 2, entitled:

"A BILL FOR AN ACT RELATING TO REMOTE DISPENSING,"

having met, and after full and free discussion, has agreed to recommend and does recommend to the respective Houses the final passage of this bill in an amended form.

     The purpose of this bill is to improve access to medications and pharmacy services in underserved or remote areas by permitting the operation of remote dispensing pharmacies without causing operational challenges for nearby retail pharmacies.  Specifically, this bill:

     (1)  Prohibits new remote dispensing pharmacies from operating within ten miles of any pharmacy, excepting remote dispensing pharmacies in operation prior to the effective date of this measure and specific federally-qualified health centers; and

     (2)  Extending sunset date of Hawaii's remote pharmacy dispensary law established by Act 212, Session Laws of Hawaii 2008, to January 1, 2016.

     Your Committee on Conference has amended this measure by:

     (1)  Prohibiting remote dispensing pharmacies from operating within the State rather than simply prohibiting remote dispensing pharmacies from operating within a ten mile radius of an existing pharmacy; and

     (2)  Exempting existing remote dispensing pharmacies operated by the Waianae Coast Comprehensive Health Center in Nanakuli and Waianae from the prohibition in paragraph (1) until June 1, 2014.

     As affirmed by the record of votes of the managers of your Committee on Conference that is attached to this report, your Committee on Conference is in accord with the intent and purpose of H.B. No. 652, S.D. 2, as amended herein, and recommends that it pass Final Reading in the form attached hereto as H.B. No. 652, S.D. 2, C.D. 1.

Respectfully submitted on behalf of the managers:

ON THE PART OF THE SENATE

ON THE PART OF THE HOUSE

____________________________ JOSH GREEN, Chair	____________________________ DELLA AU BELATTI, Co-Chair
____________________________ ROSALYN H. BAKER, Co-Chair	____________________________ ANGUS L.K. MCKELVEY, Co-Chair