Bill > HB561

This bill updates Pennsylvania's Medication-Assisted Substance Abuse Treatment Grant Program by transforming what was previously a pilot program into a more permanent initiative. The program, now administered by the Pennsylvania Commission on Crime and Delinquency, aims to increase opportunities for counties to provide medication-assisted treatment (MAT) to eligible offenders both while incarcerated and upon release from county correctional institutions. Key changes include expanding the program's scope beyond a temporary pilot, updating definitions to clarify medication-assisted treatment as using FDA-approved medications alongside other clinical treatments for substance use disorders, and establishing new requirements for county participation. Counties can apply for grants to assess offenders, create individualized treatment plans, provide medication-assisted treatment, and support offender reentry. The bill requires the commission to issue biennial reports to the General Assembly evaluating the program's effectiveness, including metrics on treatment administration, program completion, recidivism rates, and potential cost savings. Importantly, the legislation emphasizes that receiving medication-assisted treatment is not an entitlement for eligible offenders. The program prioritizes nonnarcotic medication-assisted treatment and aims to supplement, not replace, existing funding for substance abuse treatment programs.

Budget and Finance, Health and Social Services, Justice

https://www.legis.state.pa.us/cfdocs/billinfo/bill_history.cfm?syear=2025&sind=0&body=H&type=B&bn=561