Massachusetts 2025-2026 Regular Session

Massachusetts House Bill H3827 Compare Versions

Only one version of the bill is available at this time.

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1	1	1 of 1
2	2	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2158 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
3	3	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3827
4	4	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
5	5	_________________
6	6	PRESENTED BY:
7	7	Bruce J. Ayers
8	8	_________________
9	9	To the Honorable Senate and House of Representatives of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in General
10	10	Court assembled:
11	11	The undersigned legislators and/or citizens respectfully petition for the adoption of the accompanying
12	12	resolution:
13	13	Resolutions urging the Congress of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment
14	14	Act of 2000 and remove excessive training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to
15	15	prescribe buprenorphine.
16	16	_______________
17	17	PETITION OF:
18	18	NAME:DISTRICT/ADDRESS :DATE ADDED:Bruce J. Ayers1st Norfolk1/15/2025 1 of 3
19	19	HOUSE DOCKET, NO. 2158 FILED ON: 1/15/2025
20	20	HOUSE . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . No. 3827
21	21	By Representative Ayers of Quincy, a petition (accompanied by resolutions, House, No. 3827) of
22	22	Bruce J. Ayers for the adoption of resolutions by the General Court memorializing the Congress
23	23	of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 and remove excessive
24	24	training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine. Veterans and
25	25	Federal Affairs.
26	26	[SIMILAR MATTER FILED IN PREVIOUS SESSION
27	27	SEE HOUSE, NO. 3486 OF 2023-2024.]
28	28	The Commonwealth of Massachusetts
29	29	_______________
30	30	In the One Hundred and Ninety-Fourth General Court
31	31	(2025-2026)
32	32	_______________
33	33	Resolutions urging the Congress of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment
34	34	Act of 2000 and remove excessive training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to
35	35	prescribe buprenorphine.
36	36	1 Whereas, since the 1990’s the United States of America has experienced a growing issue
37	37	2of the overprescribing of opioid pain relievers; and
38	38	3 Whereas, this overprescribing of opioids has led to dependence and addiction to drugs
39	39	4such as heroin and fentanyl, which has resulted in a major public health crisis; and
40	40	5 Whereas, in 2017, the United States Department of Health & Human Services declared
41	41	6the opioid crisis a public health emergency; and
42	42	7 Whereas, according to 2016 and 2017 data compiled by the Department of Health &
43	43	8Human Services, more than 2.1 million people suffered from an opioid use disorder; and 2 of 3
44	44	9 Whereas, in 2016 and 2017, an estimated 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids;
45	45	10and
46	46	11 Whereas, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people per
47	47	12day in the United States die after overdosing on opioids; and
48	48	13 Whereas, national experts say these numbers will only continue to grow; and
49	49	14 Whereas, in order to combat this growing epidemic, new methods of treatment must be
50	50	15explored; and
51	51	16 Whereas, Medically-Assisted Treatment has proven successful in reducing dependence
52	52	17on opioids and treating addiction; and
53	53	18 Whereas, buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opiate addiction; and
54	54	19 Whereas, buprenorphine in combination with naxolone (Narcan) is Suboxone, a method
55	55	20of Medically-Assisted Treatment in the form of a pill taken orally every 24 hours with the
56	56	21potential to reduce symptoms of opiate addiction and withdrawal; and
57	57	22 Whereas, buprenorphine is a Schedule III drug, meaning it carries “moderate to low
58	58	23potential for physical and psychological dependence”; and
59	59	24 Whereas, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 stipulates that in order to prescribe
60	60	25buprenorphine, a physician must complete an 8-hour training and take an exam, as well as obtain
61	61	26a specific “X license” through the DEA; and
62	62	27 Whereas, doctors may prescribe all other Schedule III drugs, as well as some Schedule II
63	63	28drugs (with a “high potential for abuse, which may lead to psychological or physical 3 of 3
64	64	29dependence”) utilizing their DEA license and without going through any special training or
65	65	30obtaining any separate licenses; and
66	66	31 Whereas, the requirements to prescribe buprenorphine are unreasonably stringent with no
67	67	32precedent set in the prescribing of other Schedule III drugs; and
68	68	33 Whereas, these unreasonable requirements are a deterrent for physicians to prescribe this
69	69	34potentially life-saving drug; and
70	70	35 Whereas, it is incumbent upon Congress to take every measure to treat drug addiction; be
71	71	36it therefore
72	72	37 Resolved, that The General Court urges the United States Congress to update the Drug
73	73	38Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to remove excessive training requirements mandated to
74	74	39prescribe buprenorphine; and be it further
75	75	40 Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the Clerk of the House to the
76	76	41Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the
77	77	42members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation.