Today, Sen. Michele Brooks, Majority Chair of the Senate Health and Human Services Committee, introduced
SB 1352, legislation that will create a two-year Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs (DDAP) license for providers who are accredited by a national accrediting body, and whose license is in good standing and has not been provisional for at least two consecutive years.
In introducing her legislation, which has strong bipartisan support, Sen. Brooks intends to provide regulatory relief to qualifying substance use disorder treatment providers in the Commonwealth by allowing them to obtain a multi-year license from DDAP instead of full annual inspections.
In her cosponsorship memo, Sen. Brooks wrote, “Addiction treatment providers across Pennsylvania face mounting administrative pressures, including workforce shortages, financial strain, and increasingly complex compliance demands. Too often, audits, inspections, and duplicative regulatory requirements force providers to spend more time on paperwork than on patient care.
“By allowing multi-year licenses for stable, well-run programs, we can reduce disruption and offer real relief to these providers, helping to ensure the system remains sustainable and viable for those who need it.”
The legislation directs DDAP to conduct a single licensing inspection for each two-year licensing period. The inspection shall constitute the required licensure inspection for that period and may not be conducted as separate annual inspections. The scope and depth of the inspection shall be equivalent to that of a standard one-year licensing inspection and may not be expanded on the basis that the inspection covers a two-year period.
Providers are encouraged to
contact their elected state officials and urge them to support this legislation. For assistance with this, contact RCPA SUD Treatment Services Director
Jason Snyder.
