SB 67 – AS AMENDED BY THE SENATE
03/19/2015 1034s
2015 SESSION
\t15-0616\t01/06
SENATE BILL\t\t67
AN ACT\testablishing a commission to study opioid misuse in New Hampshire.
COMMITTEE:\tHealth and Human Services
AMENDED ANALYSIS
\tThis bill establishes a commission to study opioid misuse in New Hampshire.
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Explanation:\tMatter added to current law appears in bold italics.
\t\tMatter removed from current law appears [in brackets and struckthrough.]
\t\tMatter which is either (a) all new or (b) repealed and reenacted appears in regular type.
03/19/2015 1034s
\t15-0616
\t01/06
STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE
In the Year of Our Lord Two Thousand Fifteen
AN ACT\testablishing a commission to study opioid misuse in New Hampshire.
Be it Enacted by the Senate and House of Representatives in General Court convened:
\t1 Statement of Purpose and Findings.
\t\tI. The general court finds that the use and misuse of prescription pain drugs and opioids has become a significant problem in our state and the general court is charged with working to solve this devastating problem.
\t\tII. Therefore, the general court hereby establishes a commission to study ways to reduce opiod use through education, increase enforcement, stronger punitive penalties for these convicted of illegal drug distribution and concurrently support patient access to and use of appropriate pain treatments, including non-opioid and abuse deterrent formulation opioid therapies.
\t2 New Subdivision; Commission to Study Opiod Misuse in New Hampshire. Amend RSA 126-A by inserting after section 67 the following new subdivision:
Commission to Study Opiod Misuse in New Hampshire
\t126-A:68 Commission Established. There is established a commission to study opioid misuse in New Hampshire.
\tI.(a) The members of the commission shall be as follows:
\t\t\t\t(1) One member of the senate, appointed by the president of the senate.
\t\t\t\t(2) Four members of the house of representatives, one member shall be from the house health, human services, and elderly affairs committee, one member shall be from the house criminal justice and public safety committee, and one member shall be from the house education committee, appointed by the speaker of the house of representatives.
\t\t\t\t(3) The commissioner of the department of corrections, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(4) The commissioner of the department of education, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(5) The commissioner of the department of safety, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(6) The attorney general, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(7) The president of the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(8) The administrator of the bureau of drug and alcohol services, department of health and human services, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(9) The director of the bureau of behavioral health, department of health and human services, or designee.
\t\t\t\t(10) One member appointed by the New Hampshire Association of Chiefs of Police.
\t\t\t\t(11) A representative of the New Hampshire Hospital Association, appointed by the association.
\t\t\t\t(12) A representative of a drug court, appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court.
\t\t\t\t(13) A representative of the National Alliance on Mental Illness, appointed by the alliance.
\t\t\t\t(14) A representative of the Partnership for a Drug Free New Hampshire, appointed by that organization.
\t\t\t\t(15) A New Hampshire judge, appointed by the chief justice of the supreme court.
\t\t\t\t(16) One member appointed by the New Hampshire School Boards Association.
\t\t\t\t(17) A representative of New Futures, appointed by the organization.
\t\t\t\t(18) One member appointed by the Hudson Merrimack River Medical Services.
\t\t\t(b) Legislative members of the commission shall receive mileage at the legislative rate when attending to the duties of the commission.
\t\tII.(a) The commission shall study opioid misuse and substance abuse and treatment in New Hampshire. The commission’s study shall include, but not be limited to, ways to support patient access to and use of appropriate pain treatments, treatment of substance abuse and addiction to opioids and other drugs, including non-opioid and abuse deterrent formulation opioid therapies. The commission shall also make recommendation on enhanced penalties for persons convicted of drug dealing and distribution. The commission shall also consider and review prescription drug use and abuse in the workers’ compensation system and consider mandatory drug testing after continual use of an opiod drug if used for more than 90 days. The commission shall also consider requiring that anyone on long-term use of opiods enter into an opiod treatment agreement with the prescribing health care provider.
\t\t\t(b) The commission shall solicit information from health care providers, drug addiction counselors, patients, and any other person or entity the commission deems relevant to its study.
\t\tIII. The members of the commission shall elect a chairperson from among the members. The first meeting of the commission shall be called by the first-named senate member. The first meeting of the commission shall be held within 45 days of the effective date of this section. Seven members of the commission shall constitute a quorum.
\t\tIV. The commission shall report its findings and any recommendations for proposed legislation to the president of the senate, the speaker of the house of representatives, the senate clerk, the house clerk, the governor, and the state library on or before November 1, 2015.
\t3 Repeal. RSA 126-A:68, relative to a commission to study opioid misuse in New Hampshire, is repealed.
\t\tI. Section 3 of this act shall take effect November 1, 2015.
\t\tII. The remainder of this act shall take effect upon its passage.