Combating the Opioid Crisis: Governor Walker Signs Bipartisan Bills on Opioids into Law

GREEN BAY – Governor Scott Walker signed Assembly Bills 906 and 907 into law today at Bellin Hospital in Green Bay. The bills require school boards to provide instruction on drug awareness and prevention, develop training resources for social service workers and medical students, create drug trafficking response grant programs for law enforcement agencies, and deliver and implement abuse prevention services to at-risk youth. These are the 29^th and 30^th bills signed into law by Governor Walker addressing the opioid crisis.

“Wisconsin is leading the nation when it comes to addressing opioid and heroin abuse,” Governor Walker said. “This nationwide epidemic knows no boundaries. By working with law enforcement officials, medical professionals, school districts and community members we can help Wisconsin families and our communities from the dangers of opioid abuse. I am proud to have now signed 30 bills into law addressing this epidemic.”

All 30 bills signed by the Governor were created as a part of the HOPE (Heroin, Opiate, Prevention, and Education) Agenda.

Assembly Bill 906 – This legislation creates three grant programs to be administered by the Departments of Health Services, Children and Families, and Justice targeting drug abuse treatment, prevention, and response. The bill creates: nonnarcotic drug treatment grant program administered by the Department of Health Services; an evidence-based substance abuse prevention grant program administered by the Department of Children and Families; and a law enforcement drug trafficking response grant program administered by the Department of Justice. The bill, authored by Senator Leah Vukmir (R—Brookfield) and Representative John Nygren (R-Marinette), passed the Assembly on a vote of 95-0 and was concurred in the Senate on a vote of 32-0. It is Act 261.

Assembly Bill 907 – This legislation makes a number of changes to the existing law governing the regulation of controlled substances and behavioral health in Wisconsin. The changes included in the bill will require annual reports of credentialing board efforts to address opioid abuse; clarifies certain provisions for advanced nurse practice prescribe of physician assistant to dispense narcotics for addiction treatment; requires DHS to review its current policy on dispensing buprenorphine-containing products for MA patients; requires school boards to include drug abuse awareness in health education curriculum, creates an advisory behavioral health committee to review requirements for certain professional credentials related to behavioral health treatment; provides funding for DCF to provide online training for social service workers in handling substance abuse cases; and provides UW System funding for graduate psychiatric nursing education. The bill, authored by Senator Alberta Darling (R – River Hills) and Representative John Nygren (R – Marinette), passed the Assembly on a vote of 95-0 and was concurred in the Senate on a vote of 32-0. It is Act 262.

NOTE: This press release was submitted to Urban Milwaukee and was not written by an Urban Milwaukee writer. It has not been verified for its accuracy or completeness.