Signed by Governor Greg Abbott

Vote Smart's Synopsis:

A vote to pass a bill that establishes services for substance use disorder, specifically for opioids.

Highlights:

• Requires a public or private institution of higher education that requires residential advisors or officers of student organizations to meet mandatory training requirements, to ensure that overdose awareness and appropriate response training is included (Sec. 1).

• Requires the executive commissioner of the Health and Human Services Commission to establish a program to increase opportunities and expand access to telehealth treatment for substance use disorders in Texas (Sec. 3).

• Requires the criminal justice division to establish and administer a grant program to financially assist law enforcement agencies in Texas that want to provide opioid antagonists to peace officers, evidence technicians, and related personnel who are likely to encounter opioids or engage with individuals suffering from an opioid-related drug overdose (Sec. 4).

• Requires the Statewide Behavioral Health Coordinating Council to incorporate strategies concerning substance abuse issues in preparing the statewide behavioral health strategic plan, including strategies for (Sec. 5):

• Addressing the challenges of existing prevention, intervention, and treatment programs;

• Evaluating substance use disorder prevalence involving opioids;

• Identifying substance abuse treatment service availability and gaps; and

• Collaborating with state agencies to expand the substance abuse treatment services capacity in Texas.

• Requires the executive commissioner to develop and, with the department, operate a statewide public awareness campaign to deliver public service announcements that explain and clarify the risks of opioid misuse (Sec. 6).

• Requires the executive commissioner to operate a program that provides opioid antagonists for the prevention of opioid overdoses (Sec. 6).

• Requires any individual that legally prescribes or dispenses opioids to annually attend at least one hour of continuing education covering best practices, alternative treatment options, and multi-modal approaches to pain management (Sec. 7).

• Requires the executive commissioner to ensure the collection of data regarding opioid overdose deaths and the co-occurrence of substance use disorders and mental illness (Sec. 8).

• Requires the commission to provide medical assistance reimbursement for medication-assisted opioid or substance use disorder treatment without requiring a recipient of medical assistance or health care provider to obtain prior authorization or pre-certification for the treatment, with specified exceptions (Sec. 9).

• Defines “medication-assisted opioid” or “substance use disorder treatment” as the use of methadone, buprenorphine, oral buprenorphine/naloxone, or naltrexone to treat opioid or substance use disorder (Sec. 9).

Full Bill Text