SCR 69 Hawaii Senate · 2025 Regular Session

REQUESTING THE ADMINISTRATOR OF THE STATE HEALTH PLANNING AND DEVELOPMENT AGENCY TO CONVENE A PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGER WORKING GROUP TO DETERMINE THE BEST POLICIES TO LOWER DRUG COSTS FOR PATIENT CONSUMERS AND INCREASE ACCESS TO HEALTH CARE.

SCR 69 is a Senate Concurrent Resolution requesting the State Health Planning and Development Agency to convene a Pharmacy Benefit Manager (PBM) Working Group. The group will evaluate policies to lower drug costs for patients and improve healthcare access, focusing on four key areas: which state agency should oversee PBMs, required reporting, fair pharmacy audit procedures, and protections against under-reimbursed medications. The working group will include representatives from insurance, pharmacy associations, state agencies, and pharmacy benefit managers. It must submit findings and recommendations to the Legislature by early 2026, but the resolution itself does not enact new laws.

Issues: ✓ Healthcare

Bill status passed both 4 of 5 stages cleared

Introduction

Mar 2025

Committee Review

Apr 2025

Senate Passage

Apr 2025

House Passage

Apr 2025

Governor

Introduced Mar 7, 2025 Last action Apr 21, 2025

Maddy AI version diff · 2 comparisons

What changed between versions

SCR69_HD1 → SCR69_SD1 · 4 edits

MODERATE

The bill was reformatted from a Senate Concurrent Resolution (SCR) to a Senate Draft (SD) version with updated metadata and header information. The substantive policy content was significantly expanded to include stronger language about PBM conflicts of interest, new evaluation priorities for the working group, and modified member composition to remove specific industry representatives while adding new focus areas like PBM-owned pharmacy reimbursements and patient steering protections.

Scope change

The scope of the working group's evaluation was expanded from four priority areas to seven, adding specific focus on PBM-owned pharmacy reimbursements, arbitrary accreditation requirements, and patient steering practices. The member composition was modified to remove explicit representation from pharmacy benefit manager industry representatives and trade associations.

REQUIREMENT

Added new working group evaluation priorities including reimbursement comparisons for PBM-owned pharmacies, prohibitions on arbitrary accreditation requirements, and protections from patient steering practices

Modified working group member composition by removing explicit representation from pharmacy benefit manager industry and trade associations, while retaining independent pharmacy and unaffiliated pharmacy representatives

SCOPE

Expanded the resolution's purpose language to explicitly address PBM conflicts of interest and corporate healthcare conglomerate control over the prescription drug delivery chain

TECHNICAL

Changed document format from Senate Concurrent Resolution to Senate Draft with updated metadata, headers, and formatting structure

Floor votes

How they voted

This bill passed the Senate by voice vote (no roll call recorded).

Full legislative history

Actions timeline

Total actions

Key actions

Committee

Amendments

Apr 21, 2025

Amended

Senate disagrees with House amendments.

upper

Apr 21, 2025

Introduced

Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 776).

upper

Apr 17, 2025

Lower · Passed

Adopted with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Amato, Cochran, Garrett, Ichiyama, Perruso, Quinlan excused (6).

lower

Apr 17, 2025

Committee

Re-referred to HLT, referral sheet 33

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Report adopted; referred to the committee(s) on CPC as amended in HD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).

lower

Apr 14, 2025

Committee

Reported from HLT (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2073) as amended in HD 1, recommending referral to CPC.

lower

Apr 11, 2025

Lower · Passed

The committee on HLT recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Takayama, Keohokapu-Lee Loy, Amato, Chun, Marten, Olds, Alcos; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Takenouchi, Garcia.

lower

Apr 4, 2025

Committee

Referred to HLT, CPC, referral sheet 28

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Introduced

Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 497) in amended form (SD 1).

lower

Apr 3, 2025

Upper · Passed

Report and Resolution Adopted, as amended (SD 1). Transmitted to House.

upper

Apr 2, 2025

Upper · Passed

Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1537) with recommendation of adoption, as amended (SD 1).

upper

Mar 24, 2025

Upper · Passed

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.

upper

Mar 19, 2025

Upper · Passed

The committee(s) on HHS has scheduled a public hearing on 03-24-25 1:00PM; Conference Room 225 & Videoconference.

upper

Mar 11, 2025

Committee

Referred to HHS.

upper

Mar 7, 2025

Introduced

Offered.

upper

10 primary · 1 co-sponsor