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 John Jasinski (R-Faribault) released the following statement:

“No matter what town I visit or event I attend, it is a near certainty that someone will tell me a tragic story of how opioid addiction has impacted their family. It’s shameful that similar legislation has been caught up by politics in the past, but I am proud that bipartisanship ruled the day today. We have a long tradition of helping our neighbors when they have experienced hardships or disasters, and this is no different. We had a moral obligation to get this done.”

Read more about the bill by clicking here.