OLYMPIA, Wash.- A policy which would direct funds to opioid addiction treatment and prevention in tribal communities has passed the Washington Senate.
The bill, SB 6099, would direct $7.75 million in annual funds to tribal governments from a McKesson Corp., Cardinal Health Inc., and AmerisourceBergen Drug Corp legal settlement which found the companies partially responsible for the opioid epidemic.
The policy, which was cosponsored by Republican Minority Leader Sen. John Braun and the Senate Democrats’ Leadership Liaison to Tribal Nations Senator Claudia Kauffman, passed the Senate on Feb. 12 with unanimous support.
Braun celebrated the passage of the policy as a step toward tackling opioid addiction in tribal communities.
“Several tribes have built or are building substance use disorder treatment facilities…but this is a big problem in our state, and we should lend a hand,” Braun said.
American Indian and Alaska Native populations had the highest overdose rate of any racial or ethnic group in 2021 according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). Those deaths have increased at a rapid rate since 2019.
The U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration states that fentanyl poses a challenge for sovereign nations near the city of Spokane due to Spokane serving as a hub for illicit drug distribution throughout eastern Washington.
Opioid addiction is a legislative priority for both major political parties this legislative session, and two other bills addressing the crisis are progressing through the legislature.
