---
type: "Bill"
title: "Pharmacy benefits managers"
description: "AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 21 TO CHAPTER 71, TITLE 38 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A LICENSE REQUIREMENT FOR PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS, TO PROHIBIT A PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER FROM RESTRICTING OR PENALIZING A PHARMACY FROM PERFORMING CERTAIN ACTIONS OR DISCLOSING CERTAIN INFORMATION, TO PROHIBIT A PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER FROM UNDERTAKING CERTAIN ACTIONS, TO SET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COST LIST, AND TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE; TO AMEND SECTION 38-2-10, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES, SO AS TO APPLY CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES TO PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS; TO AMEND SECTION 38-71-1810, RELATING TO PHARMACY AUDIT RIGHTS, SO AS TO ALLOW A PHARMACY TO SUBMIT RECORDS IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT OR BY CERTIFIED MAIL AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN ERRORS FROM SERVING AS THE SOLE BASIS OF THE REJECTION OF A CLAIM; AND TO REPEAL ARTICLE 20 OF CHAPTER 71, TITLE 38 RELATING TO PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS. - ratified title"
jurisdiction: "us/states/sc"
legislature: "South Carolina General Assembly"
session: "2019-2020"
identifier: "S 359"
citation: "South Carolina S 359 (2019-2020)"
classification: ["bill"]
subjects: []
status: "enacted"
primary_sponsors: ["Cromer", "Gambrell", "Grooms", "Johnson", "Scott", "Senn"]
version_count: 12
action_count: 27
vote_count: 4
first_action: "2019-01-10"
last_action: "2019-06-05"
source: "openstates"
source_identifier: "ocd-bill/3e7e4a03-44a9-4c20-9158-fc193371b1e6"
source_url: "https://www.scstatehouse.gov/billsearch.php?billnumbers=359&session=123&summary=B"
source_hash: "7b7ef0148ebd07aab110229040afd5ea5709e3f824904d2c25dbcc161fa2c29e"
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-sc"]
---

# South Carolina S 359 (2019-2020) — Pharmacy benefits managers

AN ACT TO AMEND THE CODE OF LAWS OF SOUTH CAROLINA, 1976, BY ADDING ARTICLE 21 TO CHAPTER 71, TITLE 38 SO AS TO ESTABLISH A LICENSE REQUIREMENT FOR PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS, TO PROHIBIT A PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER FROM RESTRICTING OR PENALIZING A PHARMACY FROM PERFORMING CERTAIN ACTIONS OR DISCLOSING CERTAIN INFORMATION, TO PROHIBIT A PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGER FROM UNDERTAKING CERTAIN ACTIONS, TO SET CERTAIN REQUIREMENTS FOR A MAXIMUM ALLOWABLE COST LIST, AND TO AUTHORIZE THE DIRECTOR OF THE DEPARTMENT OF INSURANCE TO ENFORCE THE PROVISIONS OF THIS ARTICLE; TO AMEND SECTION 38-2-10, AS AMENDED, RELATING TO ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES, SO AS TO APPLY CERTAIN ADMINISTRATIVE PENALTIES TO PHARMACY BENEFITS MANAGERS; TO AMEND SECTION 38-71-1810, RELATING TO PHARMACY AUDIT RIGHTS, SO AS TO ALLOW A PHARMACY TO SUBMIT RECORDS IN AN ELECTRONIC FORMAT OR BY CERTIFIED MAIL AND TO PROHIBIT CERTAIN ERRORS FROM SERVING AS THE SOLE BASIS OF THE REJECTION OF A CLAIM; AND TO REPEAL ARTICLE 20 OF CHAPTER 71, TITLE 38 RELATING TO PHARMACY BENEFIT MANAGERS. - ratified title

## Version chain

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

1. **Filed** (filed) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/bills/359.htm)
2. **1/10/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190110.htm)
3. **2/27/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190227.htm)
4. **2/28/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190228.htm)
5. **3/5/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190305.htm)
6. **3/6/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190306.htm)
7. **3/7/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190307.htm)
8. **5/2/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190502.htm)
9. **5/3/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190503.htm)
10. **5/8/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190508.htm)
11. **5/9/2019** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190509.htm)
12. **5/9/2019-A** (committee substitute) — [source](https://www.scstatehouse.gov/sess123_2019-2020/prever/359_20190509a.htm)

## Votes

- 3rd Reading — **38–0** (pass) · upper
- Passage of Bill — **101–0** (pass) · lower
- Passage of Bill — **99–0** (pass) · lower
- 2nd Reading — **41–0** (pass) · upper

## Sponsors

- Cromer — primary (person)
- Gambrell — primary (person)
- Grooms — primary (person)
- Johnson — primary (person)
- Scott — primary (person)
- Senn — primary (person)

## Timeline

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

- **2019-01-10** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-01-10** Referred to Committee on Banking and Insurance `referral-committee`
- **2019-02-27** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Banking and Insurance `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-02-28** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-03-05** Committee Amendment Adopted `amendment-passage`
- **2019-03-05** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2019-03-05** Roll call Ayes-41 Nays-0
- **2019-03-06** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-03-07** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2019-03-07** Read third time and sent to House `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-03-07** Roll call Ayes-38 Nays-0
- **2019-03-13** Introduced and read first time `introduction, reading-1`
- **2019-03-13** Referred to Committee on Labor, Commerce and Industry `referral-committee`
- **2019-05-02** Committee report: Favorable with amendment Labor, Commerce and Industry `committee-passage-favorable`
- **2019-05-03** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-05-08** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-08** Read second time `reading-2`
- **2019-05-08** Roll call Yeas-101 Nays-0
- **2019-05-09** Scrivener's error corrected
- **2019-05-09** Amended `amendment-passage`
- **2019-05-09** Read third time and returned to Senate with amendments `passage, reading-3`
- **2019-05-09** Roll call Yeas-99 Nays-0
- **2019-05-09** Concurred in House amendment and enrolled
- **2019-05-13** Ratified R 68
- **2019-05-16** Signed By Governor `executive-signature`
- **2019-05-31** Effective date See Act for Effective Date
- **2019-06-05** Act No. 48

## Source

OpenStates / OpenCivicData bulk snapshot [2026-07-01](https://data.openstates.org/daily/2026-07-01/public.pgdump); origin `ocd-bill/3e7e4a03-44a9-4c20-9158-fc193371b1e6`. Confidence: reported (aggregated from official South Carolina legislature records).