Natasha Mehu, MACo Policy Analyst, testified to the House Health and Government Operations Committee, in support of HB 971, Public Health- Substance Abuse Treatment Outcomes Partnership Fund. One of MACo’s initiative is to modernize and optimize several laws and programs to help counties combat the spiraling drug crisis. HB 971 is MACo’s initiative legislation to give local governments greater flexibility to use the grant funds for substance abuse treatment and related prevention and outreach efforts.

The written testimony states:

HB 971 expands the eligible uses for grant funds to reflect the shifting demographics and challenges in addressing substance abuse. Under current law, STOP funds are limited to certain eligible populations such as mothers of drug-addicted infants; needy families receiving temporary cash assistance; adolescents; and pretrial and prerelease correctional inmates. HB 971 expands the eligible uses to include transportation to and from treatment services; coordination staff; data sharing; community emergency behavioral health services or crisis stabilization units; and substance abuse counseling in schools. The bill reasonably allows for a participating county to use STOP funding to continue or to expand any eligible program that was has been in operation since October 1, 2010.

For more on MACo’s 2015 legislation, visit the Legislative Database.