2025 -- S 0119

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LC000392

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     STATE OF RHODE ISLAND

IN GENERAL ASSEMBLY

JANUARY SESSION, A.D. 2025

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A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF

BUPRENORPHINE

     Introduced By: Senators Rogers, de la Cruz, Paolino, Raptakis, and Ujifusa

     Date Introduced: January 31, 2025

     Referred To: Senate Health & Human Services

     It is enacted by the General Assembly as follows:

     SECTION 1. Legislative findings.

     (1) Bills passed by state legislatures can mandate or encourage state agency action, remove

barriers that exist to the use of buprenorphine, in state laws or agency rules, and appropriate money

to fund state agencies, providers, or community-based groups. Legislatures can also hold oversight

hearings on executive branch activities;

     (2) States that enact new policies to increase access to buprenorphine should also perform

two key actions: collect data on opioid use disorder (OUD) prevalence and treatment rates, and

review and consider mitigating any long-standing structural barriers that will dilute efforts to reduce

opioid addiction. States need to look at their OUD prevalence rates, use of medications, and

treatment retention by age, race/ethnicity, sex, geography, and other important markers. This data

collection is the only way to determine which interventions are most needed and which populations

(in which geographic areas) to target. States can collect data for services covered by Medicaid,

federal block grants, opioid settlement funds (acquired through lawsuits with drug manufacturers

and distributors), state discretionary grants, and commercial health insurers;

     (3) People with OUD often have a range of needs beyond care for their addiction, including

treatment for co-occurring mental illness, general medical care, and access to social supports such

as housing and employment. Some states are building delivery models that formalize the

connections between these service systems and strengthen individual systems, all with the intent of

improving patients’ prospects for recovery. Medicaid, as the largest payer of OUD care, has been

a leader in implementing many of these system reforms.

     SECTION 2. Section 21-28.2-2 of the General Laws in Chapter 21-28.2 entitled "Drug

Abuse Control" is hereby amended to read as follows:

     21-28.2-2. Rules and regulations.

     The department shall make any rules and regulations, including rules and regulations that

lead to the more liberal utilization of buprenorphine, respecting the care and treatment of patients

and persons referred to the department’s care and the management of the department’s affairs as

are deemed necessary to carry out the expressed purposes of this chapter.

     SECTION 3. This act shall take effect upon passage.

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EXPLANATION

BY THE LEGISLATIVE COUNCIL

OF

A N   A C T

RELATING TO FOOD AND DRUGS -- AUTHORIZATION FOR THE USE OF

BUPRENORPHINE

***

     This act would encourage and authorize the department of health to adopt rules and

regulations that lead to the more liberal utilization of buprenorphine, respecting the care and

treatment of patients suffering from opioid abuse.

     This act would take effect upon passage.

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