House File 14-70: subcabinet on opioids adds agencies to align membership with current state structure

Representative Ben Behrman presented House File 14-70 on March 20, 2025. The bill updates membership of the opioids, substance use and addiction subcabinet to reflect changes in state government since the subcabinet's creation in 2022: it adds the Department of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF), Direct Care and Treatment, the Office of Cannabis Management (OCM), and the Department of Commerce.

Nut graf: Lawmakers said the subcabinet has coordinated cross-agency efforts to reduce overdose deaths and expand access to treatment and naloxone; this bill is administrative and intended to ensure the subcabinet's membership aligns with the state agencies now responsible for related programs.

Details: Representative Behrman reviewed the subcabinet's accomplishments since 2023, including initiatives to expand naloxone availability, improve care for incarcerated Minnesotans, promote recovery-friendly workplaces and manage opioid-settlement funds that support community-level interventions. He identified Jeremy Drucker, the subcabinet director, as leading coordination since January 2023. Committee members asked for more detail about outcomes; Representative Sexton asked specifically about measurable results and was told reductions in overdose deaths and improved naloxone access are among the most significant outcomes cited to date.

Outcome: The committee laid House File 14-70 over for possible inclusion.