Gov. Scott Walker signs bills fighting opioid abuse

Patrick Marley
Milwaukee Journal Sentinel

MADISON - Gov. Scott Walker signed 11 bills Monday to combat the state's opiate epidemic, including one that would establish a charter school for recovering addicts.

Another bill would ease the way for school employees around the state to administer a drug that halts the effects of overdoses. Others would funnel more money into fighting opioid abuse, tighten the rules for getting some drugs from pharmacies and give doctors more guidance on treating addiction.

The measures were taken up in a special legislative session the Republican governor called starting in January. They enjoyed broad bipartisan support.

Gov. Scott Walker.

“We’ve taken serious steps to combat this issue, including creating the Governor’s Task Force on Opioid Abuse, but we won’t stop until there are zero opioid overdoses in Wisconsin," Walker said in a statement.

But Senate Minority Leader Jennifer Shilling (D-Milwaukee) said the state should be doing more on the issue. 

“It doesn’t make sense to wait until someone is already hooked and battling an opioid addiction," she said in a statement. "By improving health care access and restoring drug abuse prevention grants, we can get to the root of the opioid epidemic rather than simply scratching the surface.”

Walker signed the bills at stops in De Pere, Schofield and Onalaska.

School employees. School employees, school volunteers and residence hall directors will be protected from lawsuits if they administer Narcan or other drugs that halt the effects of opioid overdoses, under Special Session Assembly Bill 1. To qualify for immunity from liability, they will have to be trained on how to use the medication and have to call 911 as soon as possible when using it.

Diversion. Counties will get more than $2 million in annual grants to treat people with drug or alcohol offenses instead of sending them to jail under Special Session Assembly Bill 2. The funds would go to counties that already have such programs, as well as ones that so far do not.

Immunity. Those who overdose on drugs will receive protections from prosecution when authorities help them under Special Session Assembly Bill 3, provided that they seek drug treatment. The bill is aimed at ensuring people call for help when someone overdoses.

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Codeine. Prescriptions will be required in all cases to get codeine, opium and similar drugs under Special Session Assembly Bill 4. Until now, those drugs could be acquired in limited instances without a prescription. 

Commitment programs. Special Session Assembly Bill 5 extends the state’s voluntary and involuntary commitment programs for alcoholics to those who habitually use drugs.

School for recovering addicts. A new charter school serving up to 15 high school students struggling with addiction will be established under Special Session Assembly Bill 6

Addiction specialists. The state will give grants totaling $63,000 a year to hospitals that hire more doctors who specialize in addiction under Special Session Assembly Bill 7.

Treatment centers. Two or three new regional opioid treatment programs will be established under Special Session Assembly Bill 8. The new programs will get a total of $1 million a year.

Addiction consultation. A new program will provide doctors with expert guidance on treating addiction under Special Session Assembly Bill 9. The state will spend $500,000 a year on the program.

Agents. The state Department of Justice will get $420,000 a year to hire special agents to investigate drug trafficking under Special Session Assembly Bill 10.

Mental health. The state will create a program to provide training to teachers and schools on mental health under Special Session Assembly Bill 11. The program will cost $200,000 a year.