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A BILL TO BE ENTITLED
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AN ACT
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relating to the use of the money in the Opioid Abatement Account. |
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BE IT ENACTED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF TEXAS: |
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SECTION 1. Section 403.505(d), Government Code, is amended |
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to read as follows: |
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(d) A state agency may use money appropriated from the |
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account only to: |
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(1) prevent opioid use disorder through |
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evidence-based education and prevention, such as school-based |
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prevention, early intervention, or health care services or programs |
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intended to reduce the risk of opioid use by school-age children; |
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(2) support efforts to prevent or reduce deaths from |
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opioid overdoses or other opioid-related harms, including through |
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increasing the availability or distribution of naloxone or other |
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opioid antagonists for use by health care providers, first |
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responders, persons experiencing an opioid overdose, families, |
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schools, community-based service providers, social workers, or |
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other members of the public; |
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(3) create and provide training on the treatment of |
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opioid addiction, including the treatment of opioid dependence with |
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each medication approved for that purpose by the United States Food |
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and Drug Administration, medical detoxification, relapse |
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prevention, patient assessment, individual treatment planning, |
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counseling, recovery supports, diversion control, and other best |
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practices; |
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(4) provide opioid use disorder treatment for youths |
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and adults, with an emphasis on programs that provide a continuum of |
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care that includes screening and assessment for opioid use disorder |
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and co-occurring behavioral health disorders, early intervention, |
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contingency management, cognitive behavioral therapy, case |
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management, relapse management, counseling services, and |
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medication-assisted treatments; |
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(5) provide patients suffering from opioid dependence |
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with access to all medications approved by the United States Food |
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and Drug Administration for the treatment of opioid dependence and |
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relapse prevention following opioid detoxification, including |
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opioid agonists, partial agonists, and antagonists; |
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(6) support efforts to reduce the abuse or misuse of |
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addictive prescription medications, including tools used to give |
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health care providers information needed to protect the public from |
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the harm caused by improper use of those medications; |
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(7) support treatment alternatives that provide both |
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psychosocial support and medication-assisted treatments in areas |
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with geographical or transportation-related challenges, including |
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providing access to mobile health services and telemedicine, |
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particularly in rural areas; |
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(8) address: |
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(A) the needs of persons involved with criminal |
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justice; and |
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(B) rural county unattended deaths; [or] |
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(9) purchase opioid antagonists in bulk from |
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manufacturers to decrease the price burden on organizations |
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distributing opioid antagonists to respond to opioid overdoses; or |
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(10) further any other purpose related to opioid |
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abatement authorized by appropriation. |
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SECTION 2. This Act takes effect immediately if it receives |
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a vote of two-thirds of all the members elected to each house, as |
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provided by Section 39, Article III, Texas Constitution. If this |
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Act does not receive the vote necessary for immediate effect, this |
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Act takes effect September 1, 2023. |