1Establishing addiction treatment pilot programs.

2The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
3hereby enacts as follows:

4Section 1. Definitions.

5The following words and phrases when used in this act shall
6have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
7context clearly indicates otherwise:

8"Department." The Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs of
9the Commonwealth.

10"Drug court." A problem-solving court authorized under 42
11Pa.C.S. § 916 (relating to problem-solving courts), to address
12the needs of defendants who have a drug addiction.

13"Medication-assisted treatment." A licensed drug and alcohol
14treatment program that offers nonnarcotic, abstinence-based
15medication.

16"Opioid treatment program." A licensed drug and alcohol

1treatment program that offers an assessment to individuals who
2are addicted to opioid drugs to determine what type of treatment
3is needed. The opioid treatment program must provide counseling,
4medication-assisted treatment or abstinence-based treatment.
5The term does not include a program that offers methadone or
6suboxone treatment.

7Section 2. Establishment of pilot programs.

8The department shall establish three pilot programs, in a
9rural, suburban and urban area of this Commonwealth. Each pilot
10program shall offer an opioid treatment program to persons who
11are offenders within the criminal justice system and selected
12under this section to be participants in the pilot program
13because of the offender's dependence on opioids. The drug courts
14selected must have an established relationship with treatment
15providers that offer abstinence-based medications. After the
16establishment of the evaluation plan in section 3, the drug
17court programs shall select persons who are offenders within the
18criminal justice system to be participants in the pilot program.
19To be selected, a person must meet the legal and clinical
20eligibility criteria for the drug court program and be an active
21participant in the program. After being enrolled in the pilot
22program, a participant shall comply with all requirements of the
23certified drug court program.

24Section 3. Evaluation.

25(a) Selection.--Not later than 60 days after the effective
26date of this section, the department shall select a nationally
27recognized criminal justice research institute with extensive
28experience in the evaluation of criminal justice and substance
29abuse projects to develop an evaluation plan for the pilot
30program. The evaluation plan shall include performance measures

1that reflect the purpose of the pilot program. The purpose of
2the pilot program is to assist participants in addressing their
3dependence on opioids, alcohol, or both, by maintaining
4abstinence from the use of those substances and reducing
5recidivism.

6(b) Plan development.--The evaluation plan developed by the
7research institute shall be established in each of the certified
8drug court programs included in the pilot program and with the
9addiction services providers that will provide treatment to the
10participants prior to enrolling participants in the pilot
11program.

12(c) Findings.--The research institute selected by the
13department in this section shall report its findings obtained
14from the pilot program.

15(d) Report.--The department shall issue a biannual report no
16later than two years after the effective date of section 2
17providing a summary of the evaluation established under
18subsection (a). The report shall highlight whether or not the
19pilot has proven to be cost effective in addressing the needs of
20the participants. The report shall be submitted to the Governor,
21the Supreme Court, the President pro tempore of the Senate and
22the Speaker of the House of Representatives.

23Section 4. Effective date.

24This act shall take effect immediately.