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HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2158 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3827
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_________________
PRESENTED BY:
Bruce J. Ayers
_________________
To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
Court assembled:
The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
resolution:
Resolutions urging the Congress of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment
Act of 2000 and remove excessive training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to
prescribe buprenorphine.
_______________
PETITION OF:
NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/15/2025 1 of 3
HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2158 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3827
By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by resolutions, House, No. 3827) of
Bruce J. Ayers for the adoption of resolutions by the General Court memorializing the Congress
of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 and remove excessive
training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Veterans and
Federal Affairs.
[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
SEE HOUSE, NO. 3486 OF 2023-2024.]
The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
_______________
In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
(2025-2026)
_______________
Resolutions urging the Congress of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment
Act of 2000 and remove excessive training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to
prescribe buprenorphine.
1 Whereas, since the 1990’s the United States of America has experienced a growing issue
2of the overprescribing of opioid pain relievers; and
3 Whereas, this overprescribing of opioids has led to dependence and addiction to drugs
4such as heroin and fentanyl, which has resulted in a major public health crisis; and
5 Whereas, in 2017, the United States Department of Health & Human Services declared
6the opioid crisis a public health emergency; and
7 Whereas, according to 2016 and 2017 data compiled by the Department of Health &
8Human Services, more than 2.1 million people suffered from an opioid use disorder; and 2 of 3
9 Whereas, in 2016 and 2017, an estimated 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids;
10and
11 Whereas, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people per
12day in the United States die after overdosing on opioids; and
13 Whereas, national experts say these numbers will only continue to grow; and
14 Whereas, in order to combat this growing epidemic, new methods of treatment must be
15explored; and
16 Whereas, Medically-Assisted Treatment has proven successful in reducing dependence
17on opioids and treating addiction; and
18 Whereas, buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opiate addiction; and
19 Whereas, buprenorphine in combination with naxolone (Narcan) is Suboxone, a method
20of Medically-Assisted Treatment in the form of a pill taken orally every 24 hours with the
21potential to reduce symptoms of opiate addiction and withdrawal; and
22 Whereas, buprenorphine is a Schedule III drug, meaning it carries “moderate to low
23potential for physical and psychological dependence”; and
24 Whereas, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 stipulates that in order to prescribe
25buprenorphine, a physician must complete an 8-hour training and take an exam, as well as obtain
26a specific “X license” through the DEA; and
27 Whereas, doctors may prescribe all other Schedule III drugs, as well as some Schedule II
28drugs (with a “high potential for abuse, which may lead to psychological or physical 3 of 3
29dependence”) utilizing their DEA license and without going through any special training or
30obtaining any separate licenses; and
31 Whereas, the requirements to prescribe buprenorphine are unreasonably stringent with no
32precedent set in the prescribing of other Schedule III drugs; and
33 Whereas, these unreasonable requirements are a deterrent for physicians to prescribe this
34potentially life-saving drug; and
35 Whereas, it is incumbent upon Congress to take every measure to treat drug addiction; be
36it therefore
37 Resolved, that The General Court urges the United States Congress to update the Drug
38Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to remove excessive training requirements mandated to
39prescribe buprenorphine; and be it further
40 Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the Clerk of the House to the
41Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
42members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation.