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Committee renews regulation of controlled-substance treatment programs
Summary
The Senate Health and Human Services Committee advanced House Bill 12‑14 to the Committee of Appropriations after adopting a clarifying amendment; sponsors said the bill continues existing licensing and oversight of facilities that dispense medication for substance‑use disorders and carries no additional fiscal impact.
Senator Mobley asked the committee to continue the state’s regulatory framework for treatment programs that dispense controlled substances for substance‑use disorders, saying the bill extends a sunset review finding from the Department of Regulatory Agencies.
Mobley told committee members the bill is a straightforward ‘‘re‑upping’’ of existing law so that the Behavioral Health Administration and its partners can continue to regulate methadone clinics and withdrawal‑management facilities. ‘‘The bill is the result of the 2025 sunset review conducted by DORA,’’ she said, adding that continued regulation is ‘‘necessary to protect public safety and health.’’
Ryan Mueller, State Opioid Treatment Authority at the Behavioral Health Administration, told the committee the state has expanded capacity in recent years: he said methadone programs now number 53 across 17 counties and that the system serves ‘‘over 10,000 patients for the first time in our state’s history.’’ Mueller said BHA uses a central registry and regulatory tools to reduce overdose risk and ensure safe, evidence‑based care.
Mobley offered Amendment L3 to clarify that treatment medications may be provided in different forms, including long‑acting injectables or oral formulations. ‘‘We just wanted to make sure that people can get the thing that’s right for them,’’ she said. The committee heard no opposition and adopted the amendment.
A committee member moved to send House Bill 12‑14 as amended to the Committee of Appropriations with a favorable recommendation; the motion passed on a unanimous roll call.
The bill now goes to the Appropriations Committee for further consideration.
