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Committee continues licensing for controlled-substance treatment programs, advances bill with follow-up on statutory language
Summary
House Bill 26-12-14 continues and modernizes Colorado’s licensing framework for treatment programs that dispense controlled medications for substance-use treatment (e.g., OTPs); BHA testimony showed increased OTP capacity and enrollment, but committee members asked for follow-up on statutory language that may narrow references from ‘substance use disorder’ to ‘opioid treatment program.’ The bill advanced to Appropriations.
Representatives English and Jackson asked the committee to continue the Controlled Substance Act licensing framework and align statutory language to reflect modern medically managed treatment, preserving oversight for facilities that administer controlled medications such as methadone and other medication-assisted treatments.
Ryan Mueller, state opioid treatment authority with the Behavioral Health Administration, told the committee the act helped double the number of opioid-treatment programs in recent years (to 53), expanding coverage to 17 counties and serving over 10,000 patients. "The end goal ultimately is to reduce overdose deaths," Mueller said, describing the act’s role in increasing treatment lanes and protecting public safety.
Several members raised technical questions about statutory phrasing that could narrow 'substance use disorder' references to opioids; sponsors and BHA agreed to follow up with drafting clarifications so the continuation does not unintentionally exclude non-opioid treatment modalities that remain within the state's oversight framework.
After discussion and a short witness phase, the committee voted to send HB 26-12-14 to the Committee on Appropriations with a favorable recommendation; the recorded vote was 8–5.
