EXPLANATION: CAPITALS INDICATE MAT TER ADDED TO EXISTING LA W. [Brackets] indicate matter deleted from existing law. *hb0565* HOUSE BILL 565 J2 5lr2537 CF SB 371 By: Delegate Hutchinson Introduced and read first time: January 23, 2025 Assigned to: Health and Government Operations A BILL ENTITLED AN ACT concerning 1 State Board of Pharmacy – Renewal Notices – Electronic Means 2 FOR the purpose of requiring the State Board of Pharmacy to send renewal notices to 3 licensees, permit holders, and registrants by electronic means, rather than 4 first–class mail, unless the licensee, permit holder, or registrant requests to receive 5 the renewal notice by first–class mail; and generally relating to renewal notices sent 6 by the State Board of Pharmacy. 7 BY repealing and reenacting, without amendments, 8 Article – Health Occupations 9 Section 12–308(a), 12–407(a), 12–6B–07(a), and 12–6C–06(a) 10 Annotated Code of Maryland 11 (2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 12 BY repealing and reenacting, with amendments, 13 Article – Health Occupations 14 Section 12–308(b), 12–407(b), 12–6B–07(b), 12–6C–06(b)(1) through (3), and 15 12–6D–09 16 Annotated Code of Maryland 17 (2021 Replacement Volume and 2024 Supplement) 18 SECTION 1. BE IT ENACTED BY THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF MARYLAND, 19 That the Laws of Maryland read as follows: 20 Article – Health Occupations 21 12–308. 22 (a) (1) A license expires on the date set by the Board unless it is renewed for 23 an additional term as provided in this section. 24 2 HOUSE BILL 565 (2) A license may not be renewed for a term longer than 2 years. 1 (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board shall 2 send to each licensee, at least 1 month before a license expires, a renewal notice by 3 [first–class mail] ELECTRONIC MEANS to the last known E–MAIL address of the licensee. 4 (2) If requested by a licensee, the Board shall send to the licensee[, at least 5 two times within the month before a license expires,] a renewal notice by [electronic means] 6 FIRST–CLASS MAIL to the last known [electronic] address of the licensee. 7 (3) If a renewal notice sent by electronic means under paragraph [(2)] (1) 8 of this subsection is returned to the Board as undeliverable, the Board shall send to the 9 licensee a renewal notice by first–class mail to the last known address of the licensee. 10 (4) A renewal notice sent under this subsection shall state: 11 (i) The date on which the current license expires; 12 (ii) The date by which the renewal application must be received by 13 the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the license expires; and 14 (iii) The amount of the renewal fee. 15 12–407. 16 (a) A pharmacy permit expires on the May 31 after its effective date, unless the 17 pharmacy permit is renewed for a 2–year term as provided in this section. 18 (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, on or before 19 March 1 of the year the permit expires, the Board shall send to each pharmacy permit 20 holder a renewal notice for each pharmacy permit by [first–class mail] ELECTRONIC 21 MEANS to the last known E–MAIL address of the pharmacy permit holder. 22 (2) If requested by a pharmacy permit holder, the Board shall send to the 23 pharmacy permit holder[, at least two times within the month before a pharmacy permit 24 expires,] a renewal notice for each pharmacy permit by [electronic means] FIRST–CLASS 25 MAIL to the last known [electronic] address of the pharmacy permit holder. 26 (3) If a renewal notice sent by electronic means under paragraph [(2)] (1) 27 of this subsection is returned to the Board as undeliverable, the Board shall send to the 28 pharmacy permit holder a renewal notice for each pharmacy permit by first–class mail to 29 the last known address of the pharmacy permit holder. 30 (4) A renewal notice sent under this subsection shall state: 31 (i) The date on which the current pharmacy permit expires; 32 HOUSE BILL 565 3 (ii) The date by which the renewal application must be received by 1 the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the pharmacy permit expires; and 2 (iii) The amount of the renewal fee. 3 12–6B–07. 4 (a) (1) Unless the registration is renewed for an additional term as provided 5 in this section, registration expires on the date set by the Board. 6 (2) The ability of a registered pharmacy technician to function as a 7 pharmacy technician terminates on the date of expiration of the pharmacy technician’s 8 registration unless renewed. 9 (3) Registration may not be renewed for a term longer than 2 years. 10 (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board shall 11 send to each registered pharmacy technician, at least 1 month before a registration expires, 12 a renewal notice by [first–class mail] ELECTRONIC MEANS to the last known E–MAIL 13 address of the registered pharmacy technician. 14 (2) If requested by a registered pharmacy technician, the Board shall send 15 to the registered pharmacy technician[, at least two times within the month before a 16 pharmacy technician registration expires,] a renewal notice by [electronic means] 17 FIRST–CLASS MAIL to the last known [electronic] address of the registered pharmacy 18 technician. 19 (3) If a renewal notice sent by electronic means under paragraph [(2)] (1) 20 of this subsection is returned to the Board as undeliverable, the Board shall send the 21 registered pharmacy technician a renewal notice by first–class mail to the last known 22 address of the registered pharmacy technician. 23 (4) A renewal notice sent under this subsection shall state: 24 (i) The date on which the current registration expires; 25 (ii) The date by which the renewal application must be received by 26 the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the registration expires; and 27 (iii) The amount of the renewal fee. 28 12–6C–06. 29 (a) A wholesale distributor permit expires on May 31 after its effective date, 30 unless the wholesale distributor permit is renewed for an additional 2–year term as 31 provided in this section. 32 4 HOUSE BILL 565 (b) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, at least 1 month 1 before a wholesale distributor permit expires, the Board shall send to the wholesale 2 distributor permit holder a renewal notice by [first–class mail] ELECTRONIC MEANS to 3 the last known E–MAIL address of the permit holder. 4 (2) If requested by a wholesale distributor permit holder, the Board shall 5 send to the permit holder[, at least two times within the month before a wholesale 6 distributor permit expires,] a renewal notice by [electronic means] FIRST–CLASS MAIL to 7 the last known [electronic] address of the permit holder. 8 (3) If a renewal notice sent by electronic means under paragraph [(2)] (1) 9 of this subsection is returned to the Board as undeliverable, the Board shall send to the 10 wholesale distributor permit holder a renewal notice by first–class mail to the last known 11 address of the permit holder. 12 12–6D–09. 13 (a) (1) Registration expires on the date set by the Board. 14 (2) Registration is valid for up to 2 years from the date of issue. 15 (b) (1) A registered pharmacy intern who qualified for registration under § 16 12–6D–03(a)(1) and (2) of this subtitle may renew the registration one time if the registered 17 pharmacy intern [is]: 18 (i) Otherwise IS entitled to be registered as a pharmacy intern; 19 (ii) Submits to the Board a renewal application on the form that the 20 Board requires; and 21 (iii) Pays to the Board a renewal fee set by the Board. 22 (2) A registered pharmacy intern who qualified for registration under § 23 12–6D–03(a)(3) and (4) of this subtitle may not renew the registration. 24 (c) The registration of a pharmacy intern registered under this subtitle expires 25 and may not be renewed on the date that the registered pharmacy intern becomes a licensed 26 pharmacist. 27 (d) (1) Except as provided in paragraph (2) of this subsection, the Board shall 28 send to each registered pharmacy intern, at least 1 month before a registration expires, a 29 renewal notice by [first–class mail] ELECTRONIC MEANS to the last known E–MAIL 30 address of the registered pharmacy intern. 31 HOUSE BILL 565 5 (2) If requested by a registered pharmacy intern, the Board shall send to 1 the registered pharmacy intern[, at least two times within the month before a pharmacy 2 intern registration expires,] a renewal notice by [electronic means] FIRST–CLASS MAIL to 3 the last known [electronic] address of the registered pharmacy intern. 4 (3) If a renewal notice sent by electronic means under paragraph [(2)] (1) 5 of this subsection is returned to the Board as undeliverable, the Board shall send the 6 registered pharmacy intern a renewal notice by first–class mail to the last known address 7 of the registered pharmacy intern. 8 (4) A renewal notice sent under this subsection shall state: 9 (i) The date on which the current registration expires; 10 (ii) The date by which the renewal application shall be received by 11 the Board for the renewal to be issued and mailed before the registration expires; and 12 (iii) The amount of the renewal fee. 13 (e) The Board shall renew the registration of each pharmacy intern who meets 14 the requirements of this section. 15 SECTION 2. AND BE IT FURTHER ENACTED, That this Act shall take effect 16 October 1, 2025. 17