President Garcia’s Healthcare Bills Unanimously Pass Senate Appropriations Committee
Two healthcare bills sponsored by Senate President Leroy M. Garcia, including SB1, pass through Senate Appropriations Committee
March 8, 2019
Denver, CO – SB19-001 and SB19-065, two priority bills sponsored by Senate President Leroy M. Garcia (D-Pueblo), today unanimously passed through the Senate Appropriations Committee. The two bills now move to the Senate floor for consideration.
- SB19-001, Expand Medication-Assisted Treatment (MAT) Pilot Program, is a bill that would provide $5 million in funding over two years to rapidly expand the MAT pilot program across the state to help Coloradans battling opioid addiction in the highest-need counties.
- SB19-065, Peer Assistance Emergency Medical Service (EMS) Provider, is a bill that would help EMS providers who are struggling get the treatment they need to safely return back to service. It would do so by creating a peer assistance program to offer education, support, counseling, and treatment to EMS providers who struggle with chemical dependency, mental illness, or any other personal, emotional, or psychological problems related to their work.
“Senate Bills 1 and 65 are more than just a critical component of improving our healthcare system – they are also important to me personally as an Emergency Medical Service provider,” said President Garcia. “I am proud that these bills are on their way to becoming law so we can support individuals struggling with drug abuse and the first responders who help them.”
To learn more about these bills, please visit https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-001 and https://leg.colorado.gov/bills/sb19-065.
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