---
type: "Bill"
title: "RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS."
description: "Requires prescribers of certain controlled substances to consult the State's Electronic Prescription Accountability System before issuing a prescription for the controlled substance, under certain circumstances. Provides that a violation by a prescriber shall not be subject to criminal penalty provisions but that a violation may be grounds for professional discipline. Repeals on 6/30/2023. (CD1)"
jurisdiction: "us/states/hi"
legislature: "Hawaii Legislature"
session: "2018 Regular Session"
identifier: "SB 2646"
citation: "Hawaii SB 2646 (2018 Regular Session)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: ["Electronic Prescription Accountability System", "Prescription Drugs"]
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["BAKER", "Gabbard", "Galuteria", "INOUYE", "Ihara", "K. Rhoads", "KIDANI", "Keith-Agaran", "L. Thielen", "Nishihara"]
version_count: 5
action_count: 54
vote_count: 6
first_action: "2018-01-19"
last_action: "2018-07-11"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/ece83824-77d7-43c8-8dcc-c6ed360f703d"
source_url: "http://capitol.hawaii.gov/Archives/measure_indiv_Archives8-12.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=2646&year=2018"
source_hash: "23c34789f70324c06a5595aec3704c2ada3a1306289f2142ffef91881e1ff1c7"
vintage: "2026-07-01"
source_snapshot: "https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump"
retrieved_at: "2026-07-06"
confidence: "reported"
tags: ["legislation", "bill", "us-hi"]
---

# Hawaii SB 2646 (2018 Regular Session) — RELATING TO PRESCRIPTION DRUGS.

Requires prescribers of certain controlled substances to consult the State's Electronic Prescription Accountability System before issuing a prescription for the controlled substance, under certain circumstances. Provides that a violation by a prescriber shall not be subject to criminal penalty provisions but that a violation may be grounds for professional discipline. Repeals on 6/30/2023. (CD1)

## Version chain

The bill's text revisions, in order — the diff chain from filing to enrollment.

1. **SB2646** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2646_.HTM)
2. **SB2646_CD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2646_CD1_.HTM)
3. **SB2646_HD1** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2646_HD1_.HTM)
4. **SB2646_HD2** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2646_HD2_.HTM)
5. **SB2646_HD3** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session2018/bills/SB2646_HD3_.HTM)

## Votes

- The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. — **3–0** (pass) · lower
- The committee(s) on CPH recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **5–0** (pass) · upper
- The committees on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **8–0** (pass) · lower
- The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **7–0** (pass) · lower
- The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · upper
- The committees on HHS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. — **3–0** (pass) · lower

## Sponsors

- BAKER — primary (person)
- Gabbard — primary (person)
- Galuteria — primary (person)
- INOUYE — primary (person)
- Ihara — primary (person)
- K. Rhoads — primary (person)
- KIDANI — primary (person)
- Keith-Agaran — primary (person)
- L. Thielen — primary (person)
- Nishihara — primary (person)

## Timeline

The legislative action history — every referral, reading, and vote.

- **2018-01-19** Introduced. `introduction`
- **2018-01-22** Passed First Reading. `reading-1`
- **2018-01-24** Referred to PSM, CPH. `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-29** Re-Referred to CPH.
- **2018-02-16** The committee(s) on CPH has scheduled a public hearing on 02-22-18 9:30AM in conference room 229.
- **2018-02-22** The committee(s) on CPH recommend(s) that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes in CPH were as follows: 5 Aye(s): Senator(s) Baker, Tokuda, S. Chang, Espero, Ihara; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 2 Excused: Senator(s) Nishihara, Ruderman. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-03-02** Reported from CPH (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 2648) with recommendation of passage on Second Reading, as amended (SD 1) and placement on the calendar for Third Reading.
- **2018-03-02** Report adopted; Passed Second Reading, as amended (SD 1).
- **2018-03-02** 48 Hrs. Notice 03-06-18.
- **2018-03-06** Passed Third Reading, as amended (SD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . Noes, 0 (none). Excused, 0 (none). Transmitted to House. `passage`
- **2018-03-06** Received from Senate (Sen. Com. No. 246) in amended form (SD 1). `introduction`
- **2018-03-08** Pass First Reading `reading-1`
- **2018-03-08** Referred to HHS, CPC, JUD, referral sheet 36 `referral-committee`
- **2018-03-12** Bill scheduled to be heard by HHS on Wednesday, 03-14-18 8:40AM in House conference room 329.
- **2018-03-14** The committees on HHS recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Mizuno, Kobayashi, Learmont; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Belatti, Tupola. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-03-16** Reported from HHS (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1207-18) as amended in HD 1, recommending passage on Second Reading and referral to CPC.
- **2018-03-16** 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) DeCoite, Fukumoto, Har, Holt, Nakashima, Souki, Tokioka excused (7). `reading-2, referral-committee`
- **2018-03-19** Bill scheduled to be heard by CPC on Wednesday, 03-21-18 2:15PM in House conference room 329.
- **2018-03-21** The committees on CPC recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 8 Ayes: Representative(s) Takumi, Ichiyama, Aquino, Ito, Say, Tokioka, Yamane, McDermott; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 3 Excused: Representative(s) Johanson, LoPresti, Mizuno. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-03-23** Reported from CPC (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1454-18) as amended in HD 2, recommending referral to JUD.
- **2018-03-23** Report adopted. referred to the committee(s) on JUD as amended in HD 2 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) C. Lee, Lowen, McDermott, Souki, Tokioka excused (5).
- **2018-04-02** Bill scheduled to be heard by JUD on Wednesday, 04-04-18 2:00PM in House conference room 325.
- **2018-04-04** The committees on JUD recommend that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes were as follows: 7 Ayes: Representative(s) Nishimoto, San Buenaventura, Brower, Morikawa, Takayama, McDermott, Thielen; Ayes with reservations: none; Noes: none; and 1 Excused: Representative(s) C. Lee. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-04-06** Reported from JUD (Stand. Com. Rep. No. 1953-18) as amended in HD 3, recommending passage on Third Reading.
- **2018-04-06** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday, 04-10-18.
- **2018-04-10** Passed Third Reading as amended in HD 3 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and Representative(s) Holt excused (1). Transmitted to Senate. `passage`
- **2018-04-10** Received from House (Hse. Com. No. 587). `introduction`
- **2018-04-12** Senate disagrees with House amendments.
- **2018-04-12** Received notice of disagreement (Sen. Com. No. 784).
- **2018-04-16** Re-referred to HHS, CPC, JUD, FIN, referral sheet 57 `referral-committee`
- **2018-04-16** House Conferees Appointed: Mizuno, Takumi, Nishimoto, Luke Co-Chairs; Tupola.
- **2018-04-16** Senate Conferees Appointed: Baker Chair; Espero, Tokuda.
- **2018-04-16** Received notice of appointment of House conferees (Hse. Com. No. 610).
- **2018-04-16** Received notice of Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 786).
- **2018-04-17** Senate Conferees Added: Senator Dela Cruz added as Co-Chair.
- **2018-04-17** Received notice of change in Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 789).
- **2018-04-17** Conference committee meeting scheduled for 04-19-18 9:00AM in conference room 229.
- **2018-04-18** Senate Conferees Changed: Senator English added as Co-Chair. Senator Dela Cruz discharged as Co-Chair.
- **2018-04-18** Received notice of change in Senate conferees (Sen. Com. No. 795).
- **2018-04-19** Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-20-18 9:05AM in conference room 229.
- **2018-04-20** Conference committee meeting to reconvene on 04-23-18 10:45AM in conference room 229.
- **2018-04-23** The Conference committee recommends that the measure be PASSED, WITH AMENDMENTS. The votes of the Senate Conference Managers were as follows: 3 Aye(s): Senator(s) Baker, English, Tokuda; Aye(s) with reservations: none ; 0 No(es): none; and 1 Excused: Senator(s) Espero. `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2018-04-23** The Conference Committee recommends that the measure be Passed, with Amendments. The votes were as follows: 3 Ayes: Representative(s) Mizuno, Takumi, Luke; Ayes with reservations: none; 0 Noes: none; and 2 Excused: Representative(s) Nishimoto, Tupola.
- **2018-04-27** Reported from Conference Committee as amended CD 1 (Conf. Com. Rep. No. 123-18).
- **2018-04-27** 48 Hrs. Notice (as amended CD 1) 05-01-18.
- **2018-04-27** Reported from Conference Committee (Conf Com. Rep. No. 123-18) as amended in (CD 1).
- **2018-04-27** Forty-eight (48) hours notice Tuesday 05-01-18.
- **2018-05-01** Passed Final Reading, as amended (CD 1). Ayes, 25; Aye(s) with reservations: none . 0 No(es): none. 0 Excused: none.
- **2018-05-01** Passed Final Reading as amended in CD 1 with none voting aye with reservations; none voting no (0) and none excused (0).
- **2018-05-01** Received notice of Final Reading (Sen. Com. No. 849).
- **2018-05-03** Received notice of passage on Final Reading in House (Hse. Com. No. 705).
- **2018-05-03** Enrolled to Governor. `executive-receipt`
- **2018-07-11** Act 153, on 07/09/2018 (Gov. Msg. No. 1262). `executive-signature`
- **2018-07-11** Act 153, 07/09/2018 (Gov. Msg. No. 1262). `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/ece83824-77d7-43c8-8dcc-c6ed360f703d`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Hawaii legislature records).