104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1971 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Rachel Ventura SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act Creates the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. Provides that the Department shall implement the program by: (1) contracting with one or more prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers to import prescription drugs and provide prescription drug cost savings to consumers in this State; (2) developing a registration process for health benefit plan issuers, health care providers, and pharmacies to obtain and dispense prescription drugs imported under the program; (3) developing a list of prescription drugs, including the prices of those drugs, that meet certain requirements set forth under the Act and publishing the list on the Department's website; (4) establishing an outreach and marketing plan to generate program awareness; (5) ensuring the program and the prescription drug wholesalers that contract with this State comply with certain federal tracking, tracing, verification, and identification requirements; and other matters. Sets forth eligibility criteria for prescription drugs that may be imported into the State under the program. Contains provisions concerning program expansion; program funding; audit procedures; annual reporting requirements; the adoption of rules to implement the Act; and federal waiver or authorization requirements. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b A BILL FOR 104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1971 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Rachel Ventura SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED: New Act New Act Creates the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. Provides that the Department shall implement the program by: (1) contracting with one or more prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers to import prescription drugs and provide prescription drug cost savings to consumers in this State; (2) developing a registration process for health benefit plan issuers, health care providers, and pharmacies to obtain and dispense prescription drugs imported under the program; (3) developing a list of prescription drugs, including the prices of those drugs, that meet certain requirements set forth under the Act and publishing the list on the Department's website; (4) establishing an outreach and marketing plan to generate program awareness; (5) ensuring the program and the prescription drug wholesalers that contract with this State comply with certain federal tracking, tracing, verification, and identification requirements; and other matters. Sets forth eligibility criteria for prescription drugs that may be imported into the State under the program. Contains provisions concerning program expansion; program funding; audit procedures; annual reporting requirements; the adoption of rules to implement the Act; and federal waiver or authorization requirements. Effective July 1, 2025. LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b A BILL FOR
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1971 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Rachel Ventura SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act New Act
New Act
Creates the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. Provides that the Department shall implement the program by: (1) contracting with one or more prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers to import prescription drugs and provide prescription drug cost savings to consumers in this State; (2) developing a registration process for health benefit plan issuers, health care providers, and pharmacies to obtain and dispense prescription drugs imported under the program; (3) developing a list of prescription drugs, including the prices of those drugs, that meet certain requirements set forth under the Act and publishing the list on the Department's website; (4) establishing an outreach and marketing plan to generate program awareness; (5) ensuring the program and the prescription drug wholesalers that contract with this State comply with certain federal tracking, tracing, verification, and identification requirements; and other matters. Sets forth eligibility criteria for prescription drugs that may be imported into the State under the program. Contains provisions concerning program expansion; program funding; audit procedures; annual reporting requirements; the adoption of rules to implement the Act; and federal waiver or authorization requirements. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b
LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b
A BILL FOR
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SB1971 LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b
1 AN ACT concerning health.
2 Be it enacted by the People of the State of Illinois,
3 represented in the General Assembly:
4 Section 1. Short title. This Act may be cited as the
5 Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program Act.
6 Section 5. Definitions. As used in this Act:
7 "Canadian supplier" means a manufacturer, wholesale
8 distributor, or pharmacy that is appropriately licensed or
9 permitted under Canadian federal or provincial laws and rules
10 to manufacture, distribute, or dispense prescription drugs.
11 "Department" means the Department of Public Health.
12 "Director" means the Director of Public Health.
13 "Prescription drug wholesaler" means a person or entity
14 licensed as a wholesale drug distributor under the Wholesale
15 Drug Distribution Licensing Act, that contracts with this
16 State to import prescription drugs under the program.
17 "Program" means the Wholesale Prescription Drug
18 Importation Program.
19 Section 10. Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation
20 Program.
21 (a) The Department shall establish the Wholesale
22 Prescription Drug Importation Program to provide lower cost
104TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY
State of Illinois
2025 and 2026 SB1971 Introduced 2/6/2025, by Sen. Rachel Ventura SYNOPSIS AS INTRODUCED:
New Act New Act
New Act
Creates the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program Act. Requires the Department of Public Health to establish the Wholesale Prescription Drug Importation Program. Provides that the Department shall implement the program by: (1) contracting with one or more prescription drug wholesalers and Canadian suppliers to import prescription drugs and provide prescription drug cost savings to consumers in this State; (2) developing a registration process for health benefit plan issuers, health care providers, and pharmacies to obtain and dispense prescription drugs imported under the program; (3) developing a list of prescription drugs, including the prices of those drugs, that meet certain requirements set forth under the Act and publishing the list on the Department's website; (4) establishing an outreach and marketing plan to generate program awareness; (5) ensuring the program and the prescription drug wholesalers that contract with this State comply with certain federal tracking, tracing, verification, and identification requirements; and other matters. Sets forth eligibility criteria for prescription drugs that may be imported into the State under the program. Contains provisions concerning program expansion; program funding; audit procedures; annual reporting requirements; the adoption of rules to implement the Act; and federal waiver or authorization requirements. Effective July 1, 2025.
LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b
LRB104 08325 BAB 18376 b
A BILL FOR
New Act
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1 prescription drugs available outside of the United States to
2 consumers in this State at the lower cost.
3 (b) The Department shall implement the program by:
4 (1) contracting with one or more prescription drug
5 wholesalers and Canadian suppliers to import prescription
6 drugs and provide prescription drug cost savings to
7 consumers in this State;
8 (2) developing a registration process for health
9 benefit plan issuers, health care providers, and
10 pharmacies to obtain and dispense prescription drugs
11 imported under the program;
12 (3) developing a list of prescription drugs, including
13 the prices of those drugs, that meet the requirements of
14 Section 15 and publishing the list on the Department's
15 website;
16 (4) establishing an outreach and marketing plan to
17 generate program awareness;
18 (5) establishing and administering a telephone call
19 center or electronic portal to provide information about
20 the program;
21 (6) ensuring the program and the prescription drug
22 wholesalers that contract with this State under paragraph
23 (1) comply with the tracking, tracing, verification, and
24 identification requirements of 21 U.S.C. 360eee-1;
25 (7) prohibiting the distribution, dispensing, or sale
26 of prescription drugs imported under this Act outside the
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1 boundaries of this State; and
2 (8) performing any other duties the Director
3 determines necessary to implement the program.
4 (c) The Department shall ensure that the program meets the
5 requirements of 21 U.S.C. 384.
6 (d) In developing the program, the Department may consult
7 with interested parties.
8 Section 15. Eligible prescription drugs. A prescription
9 drug may be imported into this State under the program only if
10 the drug:
11 (1) meets the United States Food and Drug
12 Administration's standards related to prescription drug
13 safety, effectiveness, misbranding, and adulteration;
14 (2) does not violate any federal patent laws through
15 its importation;
16 (3) is expected to generate cost savings for
17 consumers; and
18 (4) is not:
19 (A) listed as a controlled substance under State
20 or federal law;
21 (B) a biological product;
22 (C) an infused drug;
23 (D) an intravenously injected drug;
24 (E) a drug that is inhaled during surgery; or
25 (F) a parenteral drug.
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1 Section 20. Program expansion. In its discretion, the
2 Department may, by rule, expand the Program to import
3 prescription drugs from any other country that is allowed
4 under federal law to import prescription drugs into the United
5 States.
6 Section 25. Program funding. In addition to money
7 appropriated by the General Assembly, the Department may
8 impose a fee on each prescription drug sold under the program
9 or establish another funding method to administer the program.
10 Section 30. Audit procedures. The Director, by rule, shall
11 develop procedures to effectively audit a prescription drug
12 wholesaler participating in the program.
13 Section 35. Annual reporting. Not later than December 1,
14 2025, and each December 1 thereafter, the Department shall
15 submit a report to the Governor and the General Assembly
16 regarding the operation of the program during the preceding
17 State fiscal year, including:
18 (1) which prescription drugs and Canadian suppliers
19 are included in the program;
20 (2) the number of health benefit plan issuers, health
21 care providers, and pharmacies participating in the
22 program;
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1 (3) the number of prescriptions dispensed through the
2 program;
3 (4) the estimated cost savings to consumers, health
4 plans, employers, and this State since the establishment
5 of the program and during the preceding State fiscal year;
6 (5) information regarding the implementation of the
7 audit procedures under Section 30; and
8 (6) any other information:
9 (A) the Governor or the General Assembly requests;
10 or
11 (B) the Department considers necessary.
12 Section 40. Rules. As soon as practicable after the
13 effective date of this Act, the Director shall adopt any rules
14 necessary to implement this Act.
15 Section 45. Federal waiver or authorization. If, before
16 implementing any provision of this Act, a State agency
17 determines that a waiver or authorization from a federal
18 agency is necessary for implementation of that provision, the
19 agency affected by the provision shall request the waiver or
20 authorization and may delay implementing that provision until
21 the waiver or authorization is granted.
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