On February 16, 2022, Associate Policy Director D’Paul Nibber submitted testimony to the House Health and Government Operations Committee in support of HB 408 – Statewide Targeted Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act of 2022. This bill requires community services programs to provide naloxone, free of charge, to those individuals who have an opioid use disorder or are at risk of experiencing a drug overdose.

From the MACo testimony: 

Many county operators of community services ranging from re-entry programs to shelters recognize the effectiveness of naloxone, and regularly keep it on hand when providing services to communities with known substance use disorders. Moreover, Maryland Medical Assistance fully covers the cost of naloxone for most individuals engaged with these
programs.

Altogether, HB 408 would codify best practices in combatting opioid overdose without placing a burden on existing government resources.

MACo testified on the bill’s crossfile, SB 394, on February 17, 2022.

More on MACo’s advocacy:

Follow MACo’s advocacy efforts during the 2022 legislative session on MACo’s Legislative Tracking Database.
Learn more about MACo’s 2022 Legislative Initiatives.
Read more General Assembly News on MACo’s Conduit Street blog.