House-passed opioid abatement bill (H 218) draws committee scrutiny over appropriations and governance

Senate Health & Welfare members examined H 218, the house-passed bill that centralizes opioid abatement appropriations into a single bill and adds policy changes for how the special fund is governed and monitored.

Teresa Wood, chair of House Human Services and a presenter on the bill, told the committee that Human Services worked to align the recommendations of the opioid abatement advisory committee and the Department of Health: “House Human Services really took great pains ... to avoid deviating from the recommendations of the opioid advisory settlement committee.” The administration asked that the special-fund appropriations be consolidated into a single bill for clarity.

Nolan (fiscal office) walked the committee through the fiscal note: the house version of H 218 appropriates roughly $9.8–$9.9 million for fiscal year 2026, and includes several line items…