HB185 – Representative Sanpei

• Clarified the exemption for our members background check requirements
• Established a mechanism for DHSOL to clarify the difference between substance use/mental health facilities (exempt from background checks) and those that treat acute mental health conditions (require background checks)
• Reduced the automatic denial of a potential employee due to criminal background from 10 years to 3 years.

SB261 – Senator Mayne

• Originally this bill was to be used to allow cities more flexibility to allow/deny licensure to Recovery Residences, etc…
• We changed this bill to establish an advisory committee consisting of members of UBHO along with municipalities to decide how best to move forward

SB258 – Senator Mayne

• This bill establishes coprescription guidelines for opiate antagonists along with opiates.

HB246 – Representative Edwards

• This bill had a provision that allowed line items we got funded to be absorbed and utilized for different programs. We eliminated that provision

SB131 – Senator Vickers

• This bill would have created a loophole for programs to avoid having to be licensed. We had this conversation with the Sponsor as well as DHSOL and had the bill held.

HB*** – Representative Christensen

• This bill would have required the state to assume the litigation costs of the municipalities’ denial of licensure to treatment programs of all levels of care, with an emphasis on Recovery Residences. This bill would have been a disaster for our industy. we had these discussions with the sponsor and members of leadership prior to the session and the bill was never numbered.

Legislation we took a position on and helped pass or fail

• HB50 – Representative Ward – Opioid Prescribing Regulations
• HB90 – Representative Ward – Insurance Opioid Regulations
• HB175 – Representative Eliason – Opioid Abuse Prevention and Treatment Amendments
• HB239 – Representative Snow – Juvenile Justice Amendments
• HB286 – Representative Christensen – Essential Treatment and Intervention Act

Funding Items

• 6.4 Million for continuation of Medicaid Match money for Substance Use/Mental Health
• 5 Million additional for Medicaid Match Appropriation
Both of these appropriations are nearly tripled by the federal government
• 6 Million for JRI grants to be administered for innovative community-based alternatives to incarceration
• 1 Million for continuation of Medication Assisted Treatment Programs and expansion to include additional counties.
• 1.8 Million Restoration to DSAMH from 2016 Medicaid Extension
• 1.2 Million in General Fund money for the continuation of the TANF 1 grants.

Rulemaking and other Policy

• Continue to have a seat at the table throughout all rule changes within the office of licensing, specifically recent changes in recovery residence, Intensive Outpatient, Partial Hospitalization/Day Treatment, and Core rule changes.
• Continue to foster relationships between our members and Insurance carriers, both public and private.

• Created new processes and funding ($1.5 Million) to allow DHSOL more personnel and authority to pursue bad actors within our industry

• Successfully passed Eric Hutchings’s HB259 and Karen Mayne’s SB123.

• Successfully amended and stopped Lavar Christensen’s HB414

• Successfully preserved funding for Medicaid Match, DORA, MAT etc…