Amendment ID: S3018-511-R2

2nd Redraft Amendment 511

Harm reduction and substance use disorder services

Mr. Cyr, Ms. Rausch, Ms. Edwards and Ms. Lovely move that the proposed new text be amended in section 2A, by inserting after item 1599-6087 the following item:-

“XXXX-XXXX For a reserve to promote and support harm reduction efforts and services to address substance use disorder in the commonwealth; provided, that funds in this item shall be administered by the executive office of health and human services; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended to train state and municipal law enforcement personnel and emergency medical personnel, including, but not limited to, emergency medical technicians, paramedics and fire department personnel on the administration and use of federally-approved emergency opioid antagonists, including, but not limited to, naloxone, to provide opioid overdose protection to an individual; provided further, that not less than $2,000,000 shall be expended for the state office of pharmacy services to provide emergency opioid antagonists in emergency first response vehicles throughout the commonwealth; provided further, that not less than $300,000 shall be expended to the bureau of substance addiction services to procure testing equipment, which shall include, but not be limited to, fentanyl test strips, colorimetric reagents, high-performance liquid chromatography, gas chromatography and mass spectrometry equipment, to identify the strength, effectiveness or purity of controlled substances; provided further, that not less than $200,000 shall be expended for the department of public health to comply with state and federal opioid overdose reporting requirements; provided further, that not less than $400,000 shall be expended for the department of public health and the board of registration in medicine to develop or provide for a healthcare provider education program; provided further, that said program shall include a continuing education course available to all providers that are licensed to prescribe medication in the commonwealth and shall encourage the prescribing of medications for addiction treatment currently approved by the federal Food and Drug Administration where appropriate; provided further, that said program shall focus on increasing the number of providers offering such medications, directly or by referral, in addition to counseling and other appropriate support services; provided further, that not less than $500,000 shall be expended for the executive office of health and human services to establish a grant program to support providers that can demonstrate the ability to offer federal Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for addiction treatment, in addition to counseling and other supports, directly or by referral; provided further, that providers that complete the federal waiver process and related educational programming on approved medications will be eligible to apply for said grant funding for the purposes of funding additional staff members to support expanded services; provided further, that providers that do not require a federal waiver to prescribe such medications shall be eligible to apply for said grant funding; provided further, that not less than $1,000,000 shall be expended for a pilot program at county correctional facilities to assess and treat persons with alcohol use disorder with federal Food and Drug Administration-approved medications for alcohol use disorder; provided further, that not later than March 10, 2023, the office shall submit a report to the house and senate committees on ways and means that shall include, but not be limited to: (i) the total number of individuals that have received such treatment; (ii) the number of individuals that requested said treatment and were not approved; (iii) the reasons for any denials of treatment; and (iv) initiatives in place to expand and improve access to medications for alcohol use disorder for incarcerated individuals within county correctional facilities; provided further, that not less than $100,000 shall be expended for the department of public health to establish a special task force to investigate best practices for alcohol- and drug-free housing in the commonwealth; provided further, that said task force shall examine the effects of: (a) the presence of on-site supervisors on individuals in said housing; (b) access to treatment, including any barriers to medication assisted treatment in alcohol- and drug-free housing; (c) discrimination by alcohol- and drug-free housing against individuals complying with treatment plans that include medication assisted treatment, including requirements that individuals abstain from medication assisted treatment as a condition of admission or residency; (d) best practices for dispensing medication in said housing; (e) the impact of local zoning laws and local control over said housing; (f) the role of alcohol- and drug-free housing for persons released on probation for alcohol or drug related offenses that have been ordered to reside in such housing, including impacts on recidivism rates and the role of probation officers and sheriff’s departments in monitoring said persons after their release to said housing; (g) the certification process for said housing; and (h) any other issue the task force deems relevant to the success of said housing and the individuals therein; and provided further, that not later than May 1, 2023 said task force shall submit its findings to the clerks of the senate and the house of representatives, the senate and house committees on ways and means and the senate and house committees on mental health, substance use and recovery………………$5,000,000”.