On December 19, the Massachusetts Legislature approved omnibus legislation to combat the opioid crisis.
H.5143 — An Act relative to treatments and coverage for substance use disorder and recovery coach licensure, will expand non-opioid pain treatment and training, establish a licensure process for recovery coaches, and more.
A bill I filed, S.64 — An Act to support families, was included in the omnibus. My bill promotes the recovery of pregnant people who are taking medications for substance use disorder by modifying reporting requirements so that a substance-exposed newborn no longer triggers an automatic referral to the Department of Children and Families (DCF). It further directs the Department of Public Health, in collaboration with DCF, the Office of the Child Advocate, and other stakeholders, to lead the creation of new regulations related to care, treatment, and reporting of substance-exposed newborns.
For pregnant people with histories of substance use, medications such as buprenorphine and methadone are critical to their recovery. These individuals should not be punished with the threat of a DCF investigation — for taking medication prescribed to them by a doctor. This potential consequence has been a major barrier to pregnant people in recovery seeking prenatal care. I am grateful to my colleagues in the Legislature for supporting the removal of mandatory reporting requirements for health care providers, while also supporting efforts to strengthen the ability of providers and DCF to protect the welfare of children.
Much more on the substance use disorder omnibus legislation that was signed into law on December 27 by Governor Maura Healey here.
