Sample Legislation and List of Bills and Laws

Model Bill:

(1) A pharmacy shall notify each person to whom a prescription drug is dispensed that an accessible/translated prescription label is available to the person upon request at no additional cost.

(2) If a person informs the pharmacy that the person identifies as a person who is blind, visually impaired, otherwise print disabled, or limited English proficient the pharmacy shall provide to the person an accessible prescription label affixed to the bottle that is:

(a) Available to the person in a timely manner comparable to other patient wait time and lasting for at least the duration of the prescription; and

(b) Appropriate to the disability, preference and language of the person making the request through use of audible, large print, Braille  or translated labels; and

(c) Conforms to the format specific best practices established by the United States Access Board and National CLAS Standards; and

(d) Contains all the label information required by state statute and federal law including cautions, warnings and any information available to sighted, English proficient individuals reading the printed label.

(3) A pharmacy shall ensure that the prescription label is compatible with the prescription reader if a reader is provided.

(4) The requirements of this section do not apply to prescription drugs both dispensed and administered by an institutional pharmacy or correctional institution.

(5) The board of pharmacy shall promulgate regulations necessary to implement this section.

(6) “Prescription reader” means a device that is designed to audibly convey the information contained on the label of a prescription drug.

(7) An "Institutional pharmacy" means a pharmacy that is part of or is operated in conjunction with any of the following health care facilities: hospital, ambulatory surgical facility, nursing home, residential care facility, freestanding rehabilitation facility, hospice care program, home and community-based services provider, residential facility for individuals with mental illness or developmental disabilities, or any similar health care facility.

 

Laws/Regulations Passed (alphabetical order):

Florida 

Board of Pharmacy Regulations  64B16—28.108  (2023) http://www.flrules.org/gateway/ruleno.asp?id=64B16-28.108&Section=0

Hawaii

Accessible Prescription Labeling Law  HB218 (2023) https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=HB&billnumber=218&year=2023   SB608 (2023) https://www.capitol.hawaii.gov/session/measure_indiv.aspx?billtype=SB&billnumber=608&year=2023

Maine 

Translation and Interpretation in Hospitals Education Campaign (including pharmacy)  LD430 (2023)  https://legislature.maine.gov/legis/bills/display_ps.asp?LD=430&snum=131

Maryland 

Accessible Prescription Labeling Law  HB456 (2023) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/HB0456?ys=2023RS    SB 0940 (2023) https://mgaleg.maryland.gov/mgawebsite/Legislation/Details/SB0940?ys=2023RS

Nevada

Audible Labeling Law: SB131 (2017)  https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/79th2017/Bills/SB/SB131.pd  

Dual Language Labeling Law: AB177 (2021) https://www.leg.state.nv.us/Session/81st2021/Bills/AB/AB177_EN.pdf

Ohio 

Board of Pharmacy rules requires a directory of accessibility services. 4729:5-2-05 (2023) Pharmacies shall report the type of language translation services, including translated prescription labels, for patients who are of limited English proficiency; The type of services available for patients who are hard of hearing; and the type of services available for patients with low vision.

Oregon 

Audible Labeling Law: HB2935 (2019) https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/HB2935/Enrolled

Dual Language Labeling Law: SB698 (2019) https://olis.oregonlegislature.gov/liz/2019R1/Downloads/MeasureDocument/SB698/Enrolled

Puerto Rico

Audible Labeling Law (2023): https://sutra.oslpr.org/osl/esutra/MedidaReg.aspx?rid=138318

Tennessee

Accessible Prescription Labeling Law:  SB 1859 (2022) https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/SB1859.pdf   HB 1999 (2022) https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Bill/HB1999.pdf   Amended (2022) https://www.capitol.tn.gov/Bills/112/Amend/SA0750.pdf

Washington 

Dual Language Bills are Sine Die but the Board of Pharmacy, seeing the need, initiated Rulemaking without a law directing them to.   HB 1852 (2022) https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/House%20Bills/1852.pdf?q=20220107105517/   SB 5840 (2022) https://lawfilesext.leg.wa.gov/biennium/2021-22/Pdf/Bills/Senate%20Bills/5840.pdf?q=20220111165813

Virginia 

Translated Prescription Label Instructions Study Group. HB2147 (2023) Directs the Board of Pharmacy to convene a work group to evaluate the provision of translation of directions for use of prescriptions. https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+HB2147


 

Other Bills Introduced (alphabetical order, red indicates active legislation process): 

Colorado 

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB24-1115 (2024) https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/hb24-1115

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB20-1090 (2020) https://leg.colorado.gov/sites/default/files/documents/2020A/bills/2020a_1090_01.pdf

California

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill -AB1902 (2024)  https://leginfo.legislature.ca.gov/faces/billTextClient.xhtml?bill_id=202320240AB1902

Illinois

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB5055 (2024) https://www.ilga.gov/legislation/BillStatus.asp?DocNum=5505&GAID=17&DocTypeID=HB&SessionID=112&GA=103

Iowa

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill SF2022 (2024) https://www.legis.iowa.gov/legislation/BillBook?ga=90&ba=SF2022

Massachusetts

Audible Labeling Bill: S658 (2021) https://legiscan.com/MA/text/S658/id/2371251/Massachusetts-2021-S658-Introduced.pdf 

Audible Labeling Bill: S1420 (2021) https://malegislature.gov/Bills/192/S1420

Audible Labeling Bill: S1252 (2019) https://legiscan.com/MA/text/S1252/id/2365578

Minnesota

Accessible Prescription Labeling SF 2266 (2023) https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/text.php?number=SF2266&version=latest&session=ls93&session_year=2023&session_number=0

Accessible Prescription Labeling HF 2430 (2023) https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=House&f=HF2430&ssn=0&y=2023

Accessible Prescription Labeling SF 4038 (2021) https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?b=Senate&f=SF4038&ssn=0&y=2021

Accessible Prescription Labeling HF 4481 (2021) https://www.revisor.mn.gov/bills/bill.php?f=HF4481&y=2022&ssn=0&b=house

Missouri

Accessible Prescription Labeling HB2750 (2024) https://documents.house.mo.gov/billtracking/bills241/hlrbillspdf/4401H.01I.pdf

 Accessible Prescription Labeling HB 80 (2023) https://www.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB80&year=2023&code=R

Accessible Prescription Labeling HB 685 (2023) https://www.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB685&year=2023&code=R 

Accessible Prescription Labeling HB 812 (2023) https://www.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB812&year=2023&code=R

Accessible Prescription Labeling HB 2783 (2022) https://www.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2783&year=2022&code=R

Accessible Prescription Labeling HB 2834 (2022) https://www.house.mo.gov/Bill.aspx?bill=HB2834&year=2022&code=R

Nevada

Amendments to Dual Language Law AB251 (2023) https://www.leg.state.nv.us/App/NELIS/REL/82nd2023/Bill/10012/Overview

Ohio

Audible Labeling and Insurance Coverage Bill: HB 448 (2021)  https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_134/bills/hb448/IN/00/hb448_00_IN?format=pdf 

Audible Labeling and Insurance Coverage Bill: HB 214 (2019) https://www.legislature.ohio.gov/legislation/133/hb214/documents

Insurance Coverage of Prescription Readers Bill: HB 382 (2024) https://search-prod.lis.state.oh.us/solarapi/v1/general_assembly_135/bills/hb382/IN/00/hb382_00_IN?format=pdf  

Oklahoma

Dual Language Bill  HB2419 (2023) http://www.oklegislature.gov/BillInfo.aspx?Bill=hb2419&Session=2300

Pennsylvania

Accessible Labeling Bill (2021) https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billInfo/billInfo.cfm?sYear=2021&sInd=0&body=H&type=B&bn=0089

Puerto Rico

Insurance dispensation fee reimbursement PS1190 (2024) -  https://sutra.oslpr.org/osl/esutra/medidareg.aspx?rid=143982

Virginia

Accessible Prescription Labeling Bill HB516 (2024) https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?241+sum+HB516

Dual Language Bill HB2147 (2023) https://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?231+sum+HB2147