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Committee advances bill to screen incarcerated people for substance use disorder, aiming to support Medicaid waiver goals
Summary
SB 115 would require standardized screening for substance use disorder in state correctional facilities and county jails, and reporting of that data. The committee favorably recommended the bill unanimously; sponsors said the requirement supports Medicaid 1115 waiver objectives and planning for treatment services.
The committee unanimously recommended Senate Bill 115, a measure requiring standardized screening for substance use disorder for people held in state correctional facilities and county jails and requiring reporting of aggregated assessment data.
Senator Plumb, sponsor of the bill, said the measure is intended to identify the scale of substance use disorder among people in carceral settings and to help the state prepare for the Medicaid 1115 waiver, which would allow Medicaid coverage for healthcare in the 90 days prior to release. "This is actually a requirement for us to be able to do that," Plumb said, describing the proposal as a brief screening ("some of these can be done in as little as 5 to 7 minutes") rather than a lengthy clinical assessment.
The sponsor said a fiscal note was prepared (the draft figure discussed in committee was about $211,000) and that staff were working with correctional health on clarifying what counts as a screening versus a full assessment.
Mark Moffett of the Criminal Defense Lawyers Association testified in support, urging the committee to adopt the bill because early identification tied to Medicaid coverage would allow jails and prisons to bill for treatment and support continuity of care at release.
Senator Brammer moved to favorably recommend SB 115 and the committee approved the motion unanimously.
