Governor Hassan's Statement on Amendment to Bill Providing Additional Resources for Substance Misuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery

Statement

After the Senate Finance Committee voted today on an amendment to Senate Bill 533 that cuts in half the Governor's proposal of an additional $5 million for prevention, treatment and recovery programs and allows the funds to be diverted for another use, Governor Maggie Hassan issued the following statement:

"There is broad recognition that we must provide additional resources to support prevention, treatment and recovery programs in order to strengthen our efforts to combat the heroin and opioid crisis and help save lives. Despite this bipartisan support, the amendment offered today not only cuts in half my original proposal for these programs, it creates new bureaucratic hurdles that slow the process of getting these important resources to our communities. This is a disheartening signal that some Senate Republicans do not have a sense of urgency to provide the additional resources that will help stem and reverse the tide of this horrible epidemic.

"With a strengthening economy and strong state revenues that are outpacing projections by approximately $60 million this year, we can afford to provide the full $5 million that I have proposed for prevention, treatment and recovery programs, and we must do so now. It is clear that we have the resources to take additional steps now to combat this crisis and help save lives, and I urge the Senate to quit dragging their feet and provide their full support for these critical prevention, treatment and recovery programs."

In addition to cutting the Governor's original proposal of $5 million for the Governor's Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Treatment and Recovery, the amendment to Senate Bill 533 requires the Department of Health and Human Services Commissioner to prioritize the available funding between prevention, treatment and recovery or supportive housing, imposes new restrictions that will slow and alter how the Governor's Commission can distribute funds, and requires the funds to come from the department's lapse instead of existing increased revenues.

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