2025 -- S 0119
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LC000392
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S T A T E O F R H O D E I S L A N D
IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY
JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025
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A N A C T
RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF
BUPRENORPHINE
Introduced By: Senators Rogers, de la Cruz, Paolino, Raptakis, and Ujifusa
Date Introduced: January 31, 2025
Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services
It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:
SECTION 1. Legislative findings. 1
(1) Bills passed by state legislatures can mandate or encourage state agency action, remove 2
barriers that exist to the use of buprenorphine, in state laws or agency rules, and appropriate money 3
to fund state agencies, providers, or community-based groups. Legislatures can also hold oversight 4
hearings on executive branch activities; 5
(2) States that enact new policies to increase access to buprenorphine should also perform 6
two key actions: collect data on opioid use disorder (OUD) prevalence and treatment rates, and 7
review and consider mitigating any long-standing structural barriers that will dilute efforts to reduce 8
opioid addiction. States need to look at their OUD prevalence rates, use of medications, and 9
treatment retention by age, race/ethnicity, sex, geography, and other important markers. This data 10
collection is the only way to determine which interventions are most needed and which populations 11
(in which geographic areas) to target. States can collect data for services covered by Medicaid, 12
federal block grants, opioid settlement funds (acquired through lawsuits with drug manufacturers 13
and distributors), state discretionary grants, and commercial health insurers; 14
(3) People with OUD often have a range of needs beyond care for their addiction, including 15
treatment for co-occurring mental illness, general medical care, and access to social supports such 16
as housing and employment. Some states are building delivery models that formalize the 17
connections between these service systems and strengthen individual systems, all with the intent of 18
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improving patients’ prospects for recovery. Medicaid, as the largest payer of OUD care, has been 1
a leader in implementing many of these system reforms. 2
SECTION 2. Section 21-28.2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-28.2 entitled "Drug 3
Abuse Control" is hereby amended to read as follows: 4
21-28.2-2. Rules and regulations. 5
The department shall make any rules and regulations, including rules and regulations that 6
lead to the more liberal utilization of buprenorphine, respecting the care and treatment of patients 7
and persons referred to the department’s care and the management of the department’s affairs as 8
are deemed necessary to carry out the expressed purposes of this chapter. 9
SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage. 10
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EXPLANATION
BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL
OF
A N A C T
RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF
BUPRENORPHINE
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This act would encourage and authorize the department of health to adopt rules and 1
regulations that lead to the more liberal utilization of buprenorphine, respecting the care and 2
treatment of patients suffering from opioid abuse. 3
This act would take effect upon passage. 4
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