Gov. Jared Polis signed Senate Bill 10-001 into law on Tuesday, a bipartisan bill that will expand Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) for opioid addiction. Polis traveled to the Crossroads Treatment Clinic in Pueblo for the bill signing, in a move acknowledge Colorado Senate President Leroy Garcia’s role as the senator who sponsored the bill.
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“The opioid crisis has devastated families and communities across southern Colorado, and I am proud to be here today to expand a program we know can help people successfully overcome addiction and lead better lives,” said Garcia (D-Pueblo).
The opioid epidemic sweeping the country has been felt across Colorado. During the debate on the bill, Garcia pointed out that just in Pueblo County alone, the need for MAT services increased 597 percent in a single year: from 99 clients treated at agencies in 2017, to 691 clients in 2018.
Rural counties across Colorado typically have no services for MAT clients, while use and overdose incidents are on the rise. SB 19-001 allocates $5 million in funding through marijuana tax dollars over two years to expand the program to 10 additional high-need counties. Those counties have not yet been identified.
“Senate Bill 1 passed unanimously because this issue is bigger than politics,” added Garcia. “Now that this bill is the law of the land, we can help those struggling get the treatment they need and work to end the opioid crisis in Colorado.
SB 19-001 also shifts the responsibility to administer the MAT program from the college of nursing to the center for research into substance use disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery support strategies.
To see details of the legislation, go to www.leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-001.
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