- Home
-
Report Sections
- Active Military and Veterans
- Animal Welfare
- Appropriations and Funding
- Children, Families & Persons with Disabilities
- Climate Change and Environmental Protection
- Consumer Protection
- Cradle to Career Public Education
- Economic Development, Job Creation and Workers Rights
- Equity, Access to Justice and Civil Rights
- Housing
- Mental Health, Public Health and Health Care
- Public Safety
- Tax Relief
- Transportation
Harm Reduction
Status
Signed Into Law
An Act relative to accessing harm reduction initiatives
Massachusetts Legislature approved legislation to combat the opioid crisis and support residents living with substance use disorder (SUD). Governor Healey signed this legislation into law on December 23, 2024.
Highlights
- Mandates that insurance providers cover opioid reversal drugs like Narcan and Naloxone.
- Prohibits life insurers from denying coverage or imposing limits if a person obtained an emergency opioid antagonist in the past.
- Mandates insurance coverage for recovery coaches and establishes recovery coaching licensure.
- Establishes a criminal and civil liability protections for people who, in good faith, provide or utilize fentanyl test strips or other drug testing equipment.
- Promotes the recovery of pregnant people on medications for substance use disorder by clarifying that encountering a substance-exposed newborn does not trigger an automatic referral to the Department of Children and Families
"The unfortunate truth is most people in our Commonwealth know someone who is struggling or has struggled with addiction, and it is absolutely heartbreaking how many loved ones we continue to lose to this disease. At the most fundamental level this bill is about keeping people alive until they are ready to begin recovery and supporting all those in their recovery journey."
- Senator John Velis (D-Westfield)
- Senator John Velis (D-Westfield)
