HB2162--OPIOIDADDICTIONTREATMENTFUND
SPONSOR: Deaton
COMMITTEEACTION:Voted"DoPass"bytheStandingCommitteeon
Budgetbyavoteof18to0.
Thisbillprovidesthat,inadditiontothosedepartmentsthat
currentlyhaveaccess,theDepartmentofCorrections,theOfficeof
Administration, andthejudiciaryshallhaveaccesstothe"Opioid
AddictionTreatmentandRecoveryFund"topayforopioidaddiction
treatmentandpreventionservicesandhealthcareandlaw
enforcementcostsrelatedtoopioidaddictiontreatmentand
prevention.
PROPONENTS: Supporterssaythatthisbillwouldallowadditional
departmentstoaccessthemoneysintheFund.Itisimportantfor
theOfficeofAdministration tobeincludedbecausefringebenefits
likeITservicesgothroughtheOfficeofAdministration. The
moneywouldstillhavetobespentforopioidaddictiontreatment
andrecoverypurposes. Opioidabuseandmisusecontinuestobea
probleminthisstatesoitisimportanttogetthenecessaryfunds
tothedepartmentsthatneedthem.Inthefirsthalfof2021,drug
overdosesincreasedby9%fromthefirsthalfof2020.Noneofthe
departmentsthatcurrentlyhaveaccesstothefundshaveobjected
totheadditionoftheotherdepartments. Thedepartmentshave
beenworkingtogethertocomeupwithaplanonhowtobestspend
themoney.
TestifyingforthebillwereRepresentative Deaton;ArnieC.Ac
Dienoff-StatePublicAdvocate;DepartmentOfCorrections;and
OfficeOfAdministration.
OPPONENTS: Therewasnooppositionvoicedtothecommittee.
OTHERS:Otherstestifyingonthebillsaythedepartmentsare
alreadycollaboratingandanticipatecontinuingtodoso.
TestifyingonthebillwasDepartmentofMentalHealth.
Writtentestimonyhasbeensubmittedforthisbill.Thefull
writtentestimonycanbefoundunderTestimonyonthebillpageon
theHousewebsite.