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Bill to update drug-policy board adds members with lived experience and other adjustments
Summary
House Bill 316, advanced by the committee, revises membership on the state drug-policy commission to add collegiate recovery representation and a member with lived recovery experience, and replaces some federal seats with state-specific representatives.
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee reported House Bill 316 favorable after testimony from the governor’s Office of Drug Policy explaining membership and language updates for the state drug-policy commission.
Representative Butler filed HB 316; Dr. Shayla Polk, director of the governor’s Office of Drug Policy, said the bill modernizes language (for example replacing “drug abuse” with “substance misuse”) and updates membership. The revisions add a voting member from the Board of Regents representing collegiate recovery and add “an individual who has lived experience” of recovery with at least five years in recovery and active peer work. The bill also replaces some defunct federal agency seats with state-level representatives such as the Louisiana Supreme Court’s Drug and Specialty Courts director and a representative from a non-profit providing substance-use education, treatment and prevention.
Polk said the changes aim to ensure stakeholder voices are present and to update the commission’s composition to reflect current federal and state structures. Senator Boudreau moved to report HB 316 favorable; with no objections the committee reported the bill favorable by voice consent.
