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PRINTER'S NO. 471
THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF PENNSYLVANIA
SENATE BILL
No.
524
Session of
2015
INTRODUCED BY SCARNATI, YAW, GREENLEAF, ALLOWAY, FOLMER, WAGNER,
VULAKOVICH, STEFANO, WHITE, RAFFERTY, WARD, HUGHES, YUDICHAK,
TEPLITZ AND SCHWANK, FEBRUARY 19, 2015
REFERRED TO JUDICIARY, FEBRUARY 19, 2015
AN ACT
Amending Title 61 (Prisons and Parole) of the Pennsylvania
Consolidated Statutes, establishing the Non-narcotic
Medication Assisted Substance Abuse Treatment Grant Program;
and, imposing powers and duties on the Department of
Corrections.
The General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
hereby enacts as follows:
Section 1. Title 61 of the Pennsylvania Consolidated
Statutes is amended by adding a chapter to read:
CHAPTER 46
NON-NARCOTIC MEDICATION ASSISTED
SUBSTANCE ABUSE TREATMENT GRANT PROGRAM
Sec.
4601. Definitions.
4602. Establishment of program.
4603. County participation requirements.
4604. Use of grant funding.
4605. Powers and duties of department.
4606. Prior authorization.
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4607. Report to General Assembly.
§ 4601. Definitions.
The following words and phrases when used in this chapter
shall have the meanings given to them in this section unless the
context clearly indicates otherwise:
"Eligible offender." The term shall have the same meaning
given to it in section 4603 (relating to county participation
requirements) and who is dependent on opioids or alcohol, or
both.
"Program." The Non-narcotic Medication Assisted Substance
Abuse Treatment Grant Program established under this chapter.
§ 4602. Establishment of program.
The Non-narcotic Medication Assisted Substance Abuse
Treatment Grant Program is established in the department to
increase opportunities for counties to provide long acting non-
narcotic, nonaddictive medication combined with comprehensive
substance abuse treatment to eligible offenders upon release
from county correctional institutions. Grants shall be awarded
to counties eligible to participate in the program within six
months of the effective date of this section.
§ 4603. County participation requirements.
In order to be eligible for grant funding under the program,
a county must:
(1) Make application to the department in a form and
manner as provided by the department.
(2) Have a county correctional institution with an
institutional substance abuse treatment program.
(3) Be able to contract with a provider as required
under section 4604 (relating to use of grant funding).
(4) Meet any other requirements established by the
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department.
§ 4604. Use of grant funding.
A county awarded a grant under the program shall contract
with an entity, provider or organization that shall:
(1) Assess each offender, prior to re-entry into the
community, and determine if the offender is a candidate to
whom should be administered medication that prevents relapse
to opioid dependence or alcohol dependence, or both.
(2) Create an individualized program for each offender
identified under paragraph (1).
(3) Provide access to and administer long-acting
injectable naltrexone.
(4) Provide other types of counseling.
(5) Cooperate with the county board of probation and
parole as to the use of any drug under paragraph (1) by any
eligible offender.
(6) Create a discharge plan for each offender under
paragraph (1).
§ 4605. Powers and duties of department.
The department shall:
(1) Establish a form for counties to apply for grant
funding under the program.
(2) Establish additional criteria for counties making
application for grant funding under the program.
(3) Develop or approve training and instructional
materials for the law enforcement community about opioid and
alcohol addiction and the proper and effective use of non-
narcotic medication assisted substance abuse treatment in
consultation with the appropriate State agencies, including,
but not limited to, the Department of Drug and Alcohol
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Programs, the Department of Human Services, the Department of
Health, the Pennsylvania Board of Probation and Parole and
the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency.
(4) Promulgate any rules and regulations necessary to
implement this chapter.
§ 4606. Prior authorization.
Long acting injectable naltrexone shall not be subject to
prior authorization by any Medicaid managed care plan operating
under contract with the Commonwealth. Within 90 days of the
effective date of this section, the Department of Human Services
shall issue a bulletin notice to prohibit Medicaid managed care
plans from requiring prior authorization for the use of long
acting injectable naltrexone.
§ 4607. Report to General Assembly.
By June 30, 2016, the department shall issue a report to the
Judiciary Committee of the Senate and the Appropriations
Committee of the Senate and the Judiciary Committee of the House
of Representatives and the Appropriations Committee of the House
of Representatives evaluating the effectiveness of the program.
The report shall include:
(1) The number of eligible offenders to whom long-acting
injectable naltrexone was administered.
(2) The number of eligible offenders who completed the
course of long-acting injectable naltrexone.
(3) Recidivism rates of eligible offenders to whom long-
acting injectable naltrexone was administered.
(4) The average amount of grants awarded to counties.
(5) The number of providers available to meet the
requirements provided in section 4603 (relating to county
participation requirements) on a county-by-county basis.
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Section 2. This act shall take effect in 60 days.
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