---
type: "Bill"
title: "An Act amending the act of September 27, 1961 (P.L.1700, No.699), known as the Pharmacy Act, further defining unlawful acts concerning emergency prescriptions."
description: "An Act amending the act of September 27, 1961 (P.L.1700, No.699), known as the Pharmacy Act, further defining unlawful acts concerning emergency prescriptions."
jurisdiction: "us/states/pa"
legislature: "Pennsylvania General Assembly"
session: "2017-2018"
identifier: "SB 542"
citation: "Pennsylvania SB 542 (2017-2018)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Browne"]
version_count: 2
action_count: 20
vote_count: 3
first_action: "2017-03-24T04:00:00+00:00"
last_action: "2018-02-15T05:00:00+00:00"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/009c5ee0-63e3-487a-977a-5f4c90db1358"
source_url: "http://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2017&sind=0&body=S&type=B&BN=542"
source_hash: "fad10689d6e96276164747671d829be2d93f2948489c286c3acd06ab453654d0"
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-pa"]
---

# Pennsylvania SB 542 (2017-2018) — An Act amending the act of September 27, 1961 (P.L.1700, No.699), known as the Pharmacy Act, further defining unlawful acts concerning emergency prescriptions.

## Version chain

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

1. **Printer's No. 0581** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2017&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=0542&pn=0581)
2. **Printer's No. 1263** (committee substitute) — [source](http://www.legis.state.pa.us/CFDOCS/Legis/PN/Public/btCheck.cfm?txtType=HTM&sessYr=2017&sessInd=0&billBody=S&billTyp=B&billNbr=0542&pn=1263)

## Votes

- FINAL PASSAGE — **187–0** (pass) · lower
- Committee vote (CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE): Reported as Committed — **15–0** (pass) · upper
- FINAL PASSAGE — **50–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Browne — primary (person)
- Bartolotta — cosponsor (person)
- Brewster — cosponsor (person)
- Costa — cosponsor (person)
- Eichelberger — cosponsor (person)
- Folmer — cosponsor (person)
- Greenleaf — cosponsor (person)
- Mensch — cosponsor (person)
- Rafferty — cosponsor (person)
- Reschenthaler — cosponsor (person)
- Scavello — cosponsor (person)
- Stefano — cosponsor (person)
- Vulakovich — cosponsor (person)
- Ward — cosponsor (person)
- Yudichak — cosponsor (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2017-03-24T04:00:00+00:00** PN 0581 Referred to CONSUMER PROTECTION AND PROFESSIONAL LICENSURE `referral-committee`
- **2017-06-14T04:00:00+00:00** Reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2017-06-14T04:00:00+00:00** First consideration `reading-1`
- **2017-07-09T04:00:00+00:00** Laid on the table (Pursuant to Senate Rule 9)
- **2017-09-18T04:00:00+00:00** Removed from table
- **2017-10-17T04:00:00+00:00** PN 1263 Second consideration, with amendments `reading-2`
- **2017-10-23T04:00:00+00:00** Third consideration and final passage `passage, reading-3`
- **2017-10-25T04:00:00+00:00** Referred to HEALTH `referral-committee`
- **2017-12-11T05:00:00+00:00** Reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2017-12-11T05:00:00+00:00** First consideration `reading-1`
- **2017-12-11T05:00:00+00:00** Laid on the table
- **2018-01-22T05:00:00+00:00** Removed from table
- **2018-01-23T05:00:00+00:00** Second consideration `reading-2`
- **2018-01-23T05:00:00+00:00** Re-referred to APPROPRIATIONS `referral-committee`
- **2018-01-24T05:00:00+00:00** Re-reported as committed `committee-passage`
- **2018-01-24T05:00:00+00:00** Third consideration and final passage `passage, reading-3`
- **2018-01-24T05:00:00+00:00** Signed in Senate
- **2018-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Signed in House
- **2018-02-05T05:00:00+00:00** Presented to the Governor `executive-receipt`
- **2018-02-15T05:00:00+00:00** Approved by the Governor `executive-signature`

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/009c5ee0-63e3-487a-977a-5f4c90db1358`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official Pennsylvania legislature records).