The South Dakota Board of Pharmacy asked the House Appropriations Committee to approve House Bill 10‑16, a bill that would adjust licensing fees and remove language allowing the state pharmacists association to receive a portion of pharmacist renewal fees.

Tyler Lach, executive director of the Board of Pharmacy, said the board receives no general‑fund support and operates entirely on licensing fees. He told the committee some fees (wholesaler/distributor licenses) have not changed in more than three decades while industry size and regulatory workload have grown; the bill would raise the wholesalers’ fee from $250 to $500 and add a $50 late fee for licensees.

The bill also repeals SDCL 36‑11‑6, a provision that had been interpreted to let the South Dakota Pharmacists Association receive a share of pharmacist renewal fees. The board and the association worked through negotiations after the House Health committee hearing and agreed an appropriation requested in the original bill was no longer necessary; the association told lawmakers it supported the fee adjustments but had concerns with the statutory transfer language. With a negotiated agreement in place, the chairman said the committee approved an amendment (10‑16B) on the floor and deferred final disposition to later appropriations work.

Craig Matson, representing the South Dakota Pharmacists Association, said the association and board reached a resolution and supported the revised approach in the amended bill. No opposition remained at the time of the committee action; members deferred final appropriation decisions to their later budget deliberations.