HLS 17RS-1083 REENGROSSED
2017 Regular Session
HOUSE BILL NO. 490
BY REPRESENTATIVES LEGER, BAGNERIS, AND HOFFMANN AND SENATOR
MILLS
Prefiled pursuant to Article III, Section 2(A)(4)(b)(i) of the Constitution of Louisiana.
DRUGS/PRESCRIPTION: Creates the Advisory Council on Heroin and Opioid Prevention
and Education
1 AN ACT
2To enact R.S. 49:219.5, relative to the Drug Policy Board's Advisory Council on Heroin and
3 Opioid Prevention and Education; to establish the Advisory Council on Heroin and
4 Opioid Prevention and Education within the Drug Policy Board; to provide for the
5 membership, powers, and duties of the council; to require an Interagency Heroin and
6 Opioid Coordination Plan; to provide for the content of the plan; to require staffing
7 support for the council; to provide for meetings and official actions of the council;
8 and to provide for related matters.
9Be it enacted by the Legislature of Louisiana:
10 Section 1. R.S. 49:219.5 is hereby enacted to read as follows:
11 ยง219.5. Advisory Council on Heroin and Opioid Prevention and Education
12 A. The Drug Policy Board shall establish an Advisory Council on Heroin
13 and Opioid Prevention and Education to coordinate resources and expertise to assist
14 in a statewide response.
15 B. The council shall consist of the following members:
16 (1) The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health or his designee.
17 (2) The secretary of the Department of Children and Family Services or his
18 designee.
19 (3) The state superintendent of education or his designee.
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1 (4) The secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections or his
2 designee.
3 (5) The superintendent of state police or his designee.
4 (6) The commissioner of higher education or his designee.
5 (7) The secretary of the Department of Veterans Affairs or his designee.
6 (8) The executive director of the Louisiana Workforce Commission or his
7 designee.
8 (9) The president of the Senate or his designee.
9 (10) The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.
10 (11) The attorney general or his designee.
11 (12) The commissioner of insurance or his designee.
12 (13) A judge from a drug division of a district court appointed by the chief
13 justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court.
14 C. The council shall include nonvoting ex officio members who may advise
15 and contribute to discussions pertaining to heroin and opioid prevention and
16 education, including but not limited to all the following:
17 (1) The executive director of the Louisiana Board of Pharmacy or his
18 designee.
19 (2) The executive director of the Louisiana State Board of Medical
20 Examiners or his designee.
21 (3) The president of the Louisiana State Coroners Association or his
22 designee.
23 (4) The executive director of the Louisiana Sheriffs' Association or his
24 designee.
25 (5) The executive director of the Louisiana District Attorneys Association
26 or his designee.
27 (6) The president of the Louisiana State Medical Society or his designee.
28 (7) The president of the Chiropractic Association of Louisiana or his
29 designee.
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1 (8) The president of the Louisiana Physical Therapy Association or his
2 designee.
3 (9) The executive director of the Louisiana Association of Chiefs of Police
4 or his designee.
5 (10) The president of the Louisiana Independent Pharmacies Association or
6 his designee.
7 (11) The president of the Louisiana State Nurses Association or his designee.
8 (12) The president of the Louisiana Association of Nurse Practitioners or his
9 designee.
10 (13) The executive director of the Louisiana Ambulance Alliance or his
11 designee.
12 D.(1) The council shall serve in an advisory capacity to the board and
13 establish an Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordination Plan.
14 (2) The plan shall include but not be limited to all of the following:
15 (a) Parish-level data on opioid overdoses and the dispensing of
16 overdose-reversal medication.
17 (b) Progress of current initiatives in the state relating to the heroin and opioid
18 epidemic.
19 (c) Specific impacts to agencies in addressing education, treatment including
20 the use of medication-assisted treatment, prevention, overdose, and recovery.
21 E. The Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordination Plan shall be submitted
22 annually to the board, governor, president of the Senate, speaker of the House, and
23 chief justice of the Louisiana Supreme Court at the end of each calendar year.
24 F. The council shall coordinate parish-level data on opioid overdoses and
25 usage of overdose-reversal medication as current and accurate statewide data is
26 critical in educating both those involved in policy development and the citizens of
27 this state.
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1 G. The council shall also coordinate a central online location to disseminate
2 information and resources, including the Interagency Heroin and Opioid
3 Coordination Plan.
4 H. The secretary of the Louisiana Department of Health, or his designee,
5 shall serve as chairman of the council. The council may also elect a vice chairman
6 and other officers as they may deem appropriate.
7 I. A majority of the voting membership of the council shall constitute a
8 quorum for the transaction of business. All official actions of the council shall
9 require the affirmative vote of not less than a majority of the members present.
10 J. Council members shall not receive compensation or a per diem for their
11 services or attendance at council meetings, except for those travel-related expenses
12 already provided for by their agency.
13 K. The council shall be domiciled in East Baton Rouge Parish.
14 L. Each department participating on the council shall assist as needed in
15 providing staff support for the council, including but not limited to the scheduling
16 of meetings, providing public notice of scheduled meetings, and posting information
17 about the council and its meeting minutes online.
18 M. The council shall meet at least once every quarter, with meetings to be
19 called by the chair.
DIGEST
The digest printed below was prepared by House Legislative Services. It constitutes no part
of the legislative instrument. The keyword, one-liner, abstract, and digest do not constitute
part of the law or proof or indicia of legislative intent. [R.S. 1:13(B) and 24:177(E)]
HB 490 Reengrossed 2017 Regular Session Leger
Abstract: Establishes the Advisory Council on Heroin and Opioid Prevention and
Education within the Drug Policy Board.
Proposed law requires the Drug Policy Board to establish an Advisory Council on Heroin
and Opioid Prevention and Education to coordinate resources and expertise to assist in a
statewide response.
Proposed law provides that the council shall consist of the following members:
(1)The secretary of the La. Dept. of Health or his designee.
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(2)The secretary of the Dept. of Children and Family Services or his designee.
(3)The state superintendent of education or his designee.
(4)The secretary of the Dept. of Public Safety and Corrections or his designee.
(5)The superintendent of state police or his designee.
(6)The commissioner of higher education or his designee.
(7)The secretary of the Dept. of Veterans Affairs or his designee.
(8)The executive director of the La. Workforce Commission or his designee.
(9)The president of the Senate or his designee.
(10)The speaker of the House of Representatives or his designee.
(11)The attorney general or his designee.
(12)The commissioner of insurance or his designee.
(13)A judge from a drug division of a district court appointed by the chief justice of the
La. Supreme Court.
Proposed law provides that the council shall also include nonvoting ex officio members who
may advise and contribute to discussions pertaining to heroin and opioid prevention and
education, including but not limited to all of the following:
(1)The executive director of the La. Board of Pharmacy or his designee.
(2)The executive director of the La. State Board of Medical Examiners or his designee.
(3)The president of the La. State Coroners Association or his designee.
(4)The executive director of the La. Sheriffs' Association or his designee.
(5)The executive director of the La. District Attorneys Association or his designee.
(6)The president of the La. State Medical Society or his designee.
(7)The president of the Chiropractic Association of La. or his designee.
(8)The president of the La. Physical Therapy Association or his designee.
(9)The executive director of the La. Association of Chiefs of Police or his designee.
(10)The president of the La. Independent Pharmacies Association or his designee.
(11)The president of the La. State Nurses Association or his designee.
(12)The president of the La. Association of Nurse Practitioners or his designee.
(13)The executive director of the La. Ambulance Alliance or his designee.
Proposed law requires the council to serve in an advisory capacity to the board and establish
an Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordination Plan, which shall include but not be limited
to all of the following:
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(1)Parish-level data on opioid overdoses and the dispensing of overdose-reversal
medication.
(2)Progress of current initiatives in the state relating to the heroin and opioid epidemic.
(3)Specific impacts to agencies in addressing education, treatment including the use of
medication-assisted treatment, prevention, overdose, and recovery.
Proposed law requires the council to coordinate parish-level data on opioid overdoses and
usage of overdose-reversal medication as current and accurate statewide data is critical in
educating both those involved in policy development and the citizens of this state.
Proposed law requires the council to also coordinate a central online location to disseminate
information and resources, including the Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordination Plan.
Proposed law provides for the officers, quorum and voting requirements, compensation,
domicile, staffing, and meeting requirements of the council.
(Adds R.S. 49:219.5)
Summary of Amendments Adopted by House
The Committee Amendments Proposed by House Committee on Health and Welfare to
the original bill:
1. Change the requirement to report on the use of overdose-reversal medication to
a requirement to report on the dispensing of overdose-reversal medication.
2. Clarify that each state department participating on the council shall assist with
the staffing needs of the council.
3. Add the president of the Chiropractic Association of La., the president of the La.
Physical Therapy Association, and the executive director of the La. Association
of Chiefs of Police as ex officio members of the council.
The House Floor Amendments to the engrossed bill:
1. Add the president of the La. Independent Pharmacies Association, the president
of the La. State Nurses Association, the president of the La. Association of Nurse
Practitioners, and the executive director of the La. Ambulance Alliance as ex
officio members of the council.
2. Specify that the Interagency Heroin and Opioid Coordination Plan shall include
specific impacts to agencies in addressing treatment including the use of
medication-assisted treatment.
3. Make technical changes.
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