The Minnesota Senate tonight took a monumental step toward combatting Minnesota’s ongoing opioid addiction crisis by overwhelmingly approving House File 400, the Opioid Stewardship Fund bill. The legislation creates a new Opiate Epidemic Response Account that will invest in innovative treatment and social service programs, improve public awareness, and apply stronger rules to prescriptions and refills. The account will be funded by $21 million in fees collected from pharmaceutical manufacturers and distributors.

Senator Jeremy Miller (R-Winona) released the following statement:

“I have heard too many awful, heartbreaking stories of what can happen when opioid addiction takes hold of a person. It has reached a crisis level; you’re now more likely to die of an opioid overdose than in a car accident. We have a duty to step in and put an end to it. The bill we passed today is not the end of the story, but it is a really important first step.”

Read more about the bill by clicking here.