Expand Medication-assisted Treatment Pilot Program

Medication-assisted treatment expansion pilot program - extension - administration - additional counties to participate - funding increase - appropriation. In 2017, the general assembly enacted Senate Bill 17-074, concerning the creation of a pilot program in certain areas of the state experiencing high levels of opioid addiction to award grants to increase access to addiction treatment, which created a 2-year medication-assisted treatment (MAT) expansion pilot program, administered by the university of Colorado college of nursing, to expand access to medication-assisted treatment to opioid-dependent patients in Pueblo and Routt counties and directed the general assembly to appropriate $500,000 per year for the 2017-18 and 2018-19 fiscal years from the marijuana tax cash fund to the university of Colorado board of regents for allocation to the college of nursing to implement the pilot program. The 2017 act also scheduled the pilot program for repeal on June 30, 2020.

The act:

• Expands the pilot program to the counties in the San Luis valley and 2 additional counties in which a need is demonstrated;
• Shifts responsibility to administer the pilot program from the college of nursing to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies;
• Adds representatives from the San Luis valley and any other counties selected to participate in the pilot program and members from the boards of county commissioners from participating counties to the advisory board that assists in administering the program;
• Increases the annual appropriation for the pilot program to $2.5 million for the 2019-20 and 2020-21 fiscal years; and
• Extends the program an additional 2 years.

The act appropriates $2.5 million from the marijuana tax cash fund to the department of higher education for use by the board of regents of the university of Colorado to allocate to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies for the MAT expansion pilot program.

(Note: This summary applies to this bill as enacted.)