Senate Passes Package of Bills to Fight Heroin and Opioid Abuse in Communities Statewide

(Albany, NY)- The New York State Senate yesterday passed a package of legislation that addresses many of the issues raised by the Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction. The measures focus on addiction prevention, access to treatment, and support for New Yorkers in recovery - adding critical new tools to the state’s arsenal to fight the heroin and opioid abuse crisis.

The package includes three bills, all of which Senator Bonacic co-sponsored, -- S8137 sponsored by Senator Rob Ortt, S8138 sponsored by Senator George Amedore and S8139 sponsored by Senator Terrence Murphy. Together, they enact a thoughtful, proactive approach to the state’s rapidly evolving heroin and opioid crisis by: expanding insurance coverage for addiction treatment; enhancing treatment options; empowering professionals to administer emergency assistance to individuals; enhancing data collection and reporting on heroin and opioid overdoses; requiring hospitals to educate individuals about available treatment services; requiring prescriber education; and providing insurance coverage for necessary inpatient services for the diagnosis and treatment of substance use disorder.

“The heroin and opioid crisis’s have ravaged families and communities all over this country,” said Senator Bonacic. “As a member of the Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction, I believe that the bills we passed yesterday  will put New York at the forefront in terms of combating this grave epidemic. I thank my colleagues in both parties for coming together to pass these important pieces of legislation.”

The Senate’s Joint Task Force on Heroin and Opioid Addiction was created in March 2014 with former Task Force Chair Senator Phil Boyle (R-C-I, Suffolk County) to address the scourge of heroin in New York’s communities. At least 11 bills advanced by the Task Force have already been signed into law and Senate Republicans successfully fought to include $189 million in the budget this year to strengthen prevention, treatment, recovery, and education services.

The bills have been sent to the Assembly.