Minnesota Conference Committee Reaches Agreement On Opioid Bill
ST. PAUL, Minn. (WCCO/AP) – A landmark conference committee has reached an agreement on legislation aimed at combatting opioid addiction in Minnesota.
As outlined in the bill, drug companies must pay $300,000 a year to distribute the medication.
Two lawmakers on the conference committee who lost children to opioid overdoses have been working on prevention and treatment.
"This is an amazing day and I am so proud that we can hold something up that we can know is a great start to even better days ahead," said Rep. Dave Baker, R-Willmar.
Part of the registration money would go for grants to fund prevention strategies to reduce opioid deaths and overdoses.
Much of the rest would go to counties to help reimburse them for their growing child protection costs resulting from families being hurt by the opioid crisis.
Under the compromise, the registration fees would end once the state recovers at least $250 million from settlements with drug makers after a minimum of five years.
House negotiators wanted those fees to be permanent, while Senate conferees insisted on the sunset. Settlement revenues would go to response efforts.
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