Mental Health Bills Signed Into Law By Governor Holcomb

INDIANAPOLIS, Ind – Indiana Governor Eric Holcomb and State Legislators met at St. Francis Hospital in Indianapolis to sign three mental health bills into law :

HB1007 – Mental Health Access, authored by Representative Cindy Kirchhofer, requires the office of Medicaid policy and planning to implement a centralized credentials verification organization and credentialing process. It allows the division of mental health and addiction (division) to grant approval for nine additional opioid treatment programs that: (1) are operated by a hospital; and (2) meet other specified requirements; if the division determines that there is a need for the program in the proposed location.

SB 139 – Investigation of Overdose Deaths, authored by Senator James Merritt, Senator Ed Charbonneau, and Senator John Ruckelshaus, requires the county coroner to meet specified requirements if he or she reasonably suspects the cause of a person’s death to be accidental or intentional overdose of a controlled substance.

SB 221 – INSPECT Program, authored by Senator Erin Houchin, Senator Ed Charbonneau, and Senator Joseph Zakas, allows a dispenser of ephedrine, pseudoephedrine, or a controlled substance to transmit certain information to the INSPECT program by any electronic method that meets specifications prescribed by the state board of pharmacy (board).

The signings of these bills were attended by Hamilton Center representatives, CEO, Melvin L. Burks, Executive Director of Government Affairs, Hans Eilbracht, and Acting Chief of Addictions Services, Dr. Jennifer Hutchens.

To read more about these bills, visit http://iga.in.gov/.

(2) Senator Jim Merritt and Hamilton Center CEO, Melvin L. Burks

 

(left to right) Dr. Jennifer Hutchens, Acting Chief of Addictions Services, Hamilton Center, Inc., Jim McClelland, Executive Director for Drug Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement for the State of Indiana, and Melvin L. Burks, CEO, Hamilton Center, Inc.

 

(left to right) Governor Eric Holcomb, Melvin L. Burks, CEO, Hamilton Center, Inc., and Dr. Jennifer Hutchens, Acting Chief of Addiction Services, Hamilton Center, Inc.