Newly Introduced Legislation Would Force PA-Specific Requirements of ASAM Through Regulatory Review

Rep. Carrie Lewis DelRosso introduced legislation yesterday that would require the Department of Drug and Alcohol Programs to promulgate regulations in any of the following instances that affect licensed drug and alcohol treatment providers:

• The implementation of new or additional licensing requirements for drug and alcohol facilities;
• The implementation of new or additional drug and alcohol staff credentialing requirements;
• The implementation of new or additional drug and alcohol counselor staffing ratios; and
• The implementation of new or major programmatic changes and requirements imposed on drug and alcohol facilities, including the requirement of adding programs that significantly increase the cost of delivering care and meeting staffing requirements.

The legislation includes any proposed regulatory requirement not currently in effect or any regulatory requirement that the General Assembly has delayed through legislation, meaning the PA-specific requirements of the ASAM transition could not be implemented until approved through a regulatory review process.

The House Human Services Committee is scheduled to vote on the bill Tuesday, October 26. Rep. Frank Farry, Chairman of the Committee, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

If the bill becomes law before January 1, it would bring much needed relief to a treatment system already struggling with major workforce issues and chronic underfunding.

Contact Jason Snyder, Director of RCPA’s Drug and Alcohol Division, with any questions.