The 2010 Legislative Session is in full swing. All House and Senate bills are now available. The next month looks to be very busy. The following list of many of the bills we are tracking includes the New Futures position, and the date/time of upcoming hearings (to the extent that they have been scheduled). The most significant bills are listed first with the remainder in numerical order. A 2010 Legislative Tracking Document will be updated weekly on our website.

HB 410 (relative to the licensing of alcohol and drug counselors) authorizes qualified master’s level prepared alcohol and drug counselors to provide treatment to individuals who suffer from a substance use disorder and a co-occurring mental illness. It also makes a number of technical changes to the regulation of licensed alcohol and drug counselors. New Futures strongly supports the bill as amended by the House on 1/13/10. The bill was referred to the House Ways and Means Committee which held a public hearing on 1/28/10.

SB 475 (relative to alcoholic beverage advertising restrictions). This bill would dramatically increase the amount and nature of alcohol advertising by repealing all restrictions both on “Happy Hour” advertising and on signage. Because the research on the impact of increased exposure to alcohol advertising on underage youth is so clear, New Futures will vigorously oppose SB 475. The public hearing on SB 475 could be on Tuesday, February 16th in the Senate Commerce Committee.

SB 331 was introduced at the request of New Futures to require the Governor’s Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse Prevention, Intervention and Treatment to create a task force to examine ways to better leverage state funds to improve access to substance use disorder treatment for Medicaid eligible individuals. We support this bill, which has its public hearing in the Senate Health and Human Services Committee at 8:30 AM on 2/2/10.   

HB 1664 would make significant budget reductions in the SFY 2011 state budget including cutting $1 M from the Alcohol Fund in SFY 2011. The bill had a public hearing on 1/19/10 and New Futures testified in opposition.    

SB 181 is intended to repeal the transfer of the liquor commission enforcement bureau to the department of safety and also creates a committee to study the administrative structure and adjudicative process at the liquor commission. New Futures strongly supports keeping the Bureau of Enforcement and Licensing within the Liquor Commission and supports this amended bill. SB 181 has passed the Senate and may face some opposition in the House. 

SB 398 (relative to prohibited sales of alcoholic beverages). The goal of SB 398 is to reduce the penalty for sales that occur during compliance checks from misdemeanor to violation level offenses. The Senate Judiciary will have an amended bill, which we support, for its 2/2/10 hearing. 

SB 375 (relative to warning statements concerning drinking alcoholic beverages during pregnancy). SB 375 establishes minimum lettering size for the warning statements required to be posted wherever alcohol is sold. The hearing in the Senate Executive Departments and Administration Committee is on 2/2/10 at 2:20 PM. 

SB 325 (relative to loitering by intoxicated persons) was introduced at the request of on-premise licensees with the goal of allowing them to keep an intoxicated person inside while they call for a ride, notify law enforcement, or take other steps. Under current law they believe their only option is to remove the intoxicated patron outside. SB 325 does not have any impact on the liability of the licensee for sale to a minor or an intoxicated person. The hearing in the Senate Judiciary Committee is on 2/2/10 at 3:00 PM. 

HB 1493 establishes a committee to study comprehensive mental health parity. New Futures has worked with the sponsor to add parity for the treatment of substance use disorders to the work of the study committee and will support the bill at the public hearing in the House Commerce Committee on 2/2/10 at 11:00 AM. Insurance parity is a critical factor increasing access to substance use disorder treatment.