TIMELINE: GOVERNOR HOGAN’S EFFORTS TO COMBAT HEROIN AND OPIOID EPIDEMIC
2015
February 24, 2015:
-Governor Hogan introduces a four-prong approach to tackle the heroin and opioid epidemic(prevention, treatment, recovery, and maximize resources and expertise)
-Signs 2 executive orders: the first establishing the Governor’s Heroin And Opioid Emergency Task Force, to be chaired by Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, and the second establishing the Inter-Agency Heroin And Opioid Coordinating Council.
-Announces the donation of 5,000 Evzio Kits (2 doses a kit for a total of 10,000 doses)
-Announces that the Governor’s Office of Crime Control Prevention will allocate $500,000 of Maryland’s federal Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grant (BJAG) funds to federal grant to expand heroin treatment programs in jails, including re-entry programs providing non-addictive medication and behavioral counseling
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March 17, 2015:
The first Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Elkton.
April 2, 2015:
The governor submits a second supplemental budget for FY2016, which includes $2 million to the Department of Health and Mental Hygiene to expand substance abuse treatment programs.
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April 15, 2015:
The second Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Baltimore City.
April 29, 2015:
The third Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Prince Frederick.
May 12, 2015:
The governor signs the following legislation into law:
-HB 896: Joint Committee on Behavioral Health and Opioid Use Disorders: establishes a Joint Committee on Behavioral Health and Opioid Use Disorders.
-SB 516: Public Health: Overdose Response Program: authorizes specified advanced practice nurses, in addition to specified nurse practitioners and pharmacists, to conduct specified overdose prevention educational training programs.
-SB 606: Health Insurance—Abuse-Deterrent Opioid Analgesic Drug Products—Coverage: requires insurers to provide coverage for abuse-deterrent opioid analgesic drug products.
-SB 654: Criminal Procedure—Immunity: Alcohol- or Drug-Related Medical Emergencies: establishes that the act of seeking assistance by a person who experiences a medical emergency after ingesting or using alcohol or drugs may be used as a mitigating factor in a criminal prosecution of the person.
May 18, 2015:
The fourth Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Hagerstown.
June 2, 2015:
The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention announces that it will award $500,000 to programs in local jails and detention centers across Maryland for Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT) programs. Under some of the programs, selected inmates will receive monthly injections of Vivitrol, a non-narcotic and non-addictive substance that blocks the euphoric effects of heroin and other opiates, and alcohol. Additional funding is set aside to develop and implement a program in Baltimore City.
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June 10, 2015:
The fifth Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Salisbury.
July 2, 2015:
The sixth Heroin and Opioid Task Force Summit is held in Silver Spring.
July 24, 2015:
The Heroin and Opioid Task Force holds a conference call that is open to the public.
August 25, 2015:
The Heroin & Opioid Emergency Task Force submits its interim report to Governor Hogan. The report includes 10 recommendations that can be implemented immediately.
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August 28, 2015:
Reaffirming the administration’s goal of preventing substance abuse and overdose deaths, the governor issues a statewide proclamation declaring the week of Sunday, August 30, to Saturday, September 5, to be Overdose Awareness Week in Maryland.
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December 1, 2015:
The Heroin & Opioid Emergency Task Force submits its final report to Governor Hogan. The report includes 33 final recommendations to combat the epidemic.
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December 8, 2015:
The governor announces grants to the Washington County Sheriff's Office ($91,760) and the Maryland State Police ($125,000) to identify and prosecute drug traffickers and help those struggling with drug addiction get the best possible treatment.
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December 16, 2015:
The governor announces a multi-agency initiative, led by the Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention, to conduct an extensive review of “collateral consequences,” or the legal and regulatory barriers that individuals with a criminal record face when re-entering the community after time in prison.
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2016
January 20, 2016:
The governor announces his Fiscal Year 2017 Budget, which includes $4.8 million in new funding to implement recommendations put forward by Maryland’s Heroin and Opioid Emergency Task Force. Funds are above and beyond the $341.9 million dedicated in the FY 2017 budget to existing substance use disorder and addiction programs, and will be used to enhance quality of care and expand access to treatment and support services, boost overdose prevention efforts, and strengthen law enforcement options.
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January 26, 2016
The governor introduces legislation to strengthen the existing Prescription Drug Monitoring Program and facilitate the prosecution of drug trafficking as part of a criminal enterprise (amend Maryland’s Gang Statute to better model it after the federal Racketeer Influenced and Corrupt Organization Act, or RICO).
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February 27, 2016:
The governor visits the Southern Maryland Higher Education Center, where he addresses the investments made by the administration in the southern region of the state to fight heroin and opioid addiction, including $400,000 to fund programs in southern Maryland to provide much-needed help for families and individuals struggling with addiction.
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March 10, 2016:
The governor introduces a third supplemental budget for FY 2017 that provides $3 million in new funding for heroin addiction prevention and treatment programs.
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April 26, 2016:
In the 2016 legislative session, the governor acts on the recommendations of the Task Force, committing nearly $9 million in funding and signs the following legislation into law:
-HB 437: Department of Health and Mental Hygiene - Prescription Drug Monitoring Program – Modifications: requires mandatory registration with the Prescription Drug Monitoring Program to all providers that have a license to prescribe or dispense controlled dangerous substances before obtaining a new or renewal controlled dangerous substance registration; also requires certain providers to check the PDMP before prescribing an opioid or benzodiazepine. Mandatory registration and use will make the PDMP a more effective tool in the fight against opioid abuse.(See:
-HB 1318: Health Benefit Plans - Network Access Standards and Provider Network Directories: establishes requirements for information that health carriers include in their provider network directories.
-SB 0097: Public Health--Opioid-Associated Disease Prevention and Outreach Programs: allows for the establishment of opioid-associated disease prevention and outreach programs (syringe exchange).
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May 19, 2016:
The governor signs the following legislation into law:
-SB 1005: The Justice Reinvestment Act: comprehensive criminal justice reform package that will enable Maryland to better protect communities, restore families, and move the state’s economy forward.
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July 13, 2016:
The governor joins 46 governors in signingthe National Governors Association’s Compact to Fight Opioid Addiction.
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July 25, 2016:
The governor announces Maryland is providing $540,000 to the Washington County Sheriff’s Office to establish and operate the state’s first adult day reporting center.
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August 8, 2016:
The governor announces $3 millon to fight the heroin epidemic: A total of $931,371 will go toward funding a heroin coordinator in law enforcement agencies in every region of the state, while a total of $2,070,397 will go to nine jurisdictions to continue the Safe Streets Initiative, an offender-based program that tracks down and arrests the most serious, violent, and repeat offenders while connecting those offenders struggling with substance abuse to drug treatment, health care, education, and other services. In 2016, five Safe Streets sites were funded to hire peer recovery specialists to integrate treatment into the model: Anne Arundel, Dorchester, Frederick, Cecil, and Salisbury.
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October 12, 2016:
The governor signs a compact with Governor McAuliffe of Virginia and Mayor Bowser of D.C. on how to address a deadly heroin epidemic. The Metropolitan Washington Council of Governments will establish a joint task force to coordinate a regional response to the spike in opioid-related deaths.
October 14, 2016:
The governor joins Allegany County Sheriff Craig Robertson at the Allegany County Sheriff’s Office in Cumberland, to discuss progress in the law enforcement response to the heroin and opioid epidemic and the need for high-quality treatment for those struggling with addiction in Allegany County.
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December 8, 2016:
The governor announces the first round of recipients of the 2016 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, or BJAG awards. Part of the $1,951,422 in grants goes towardpolice officer overtime pay for heroin-related investigations, heroin reduction programs, substance abuse treatment programs for adolescents and their families, and more.
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December 13, 2016:
The governor travels to Parkville to discuss the new drug availability and disposal initiative that is launched this week at local Walgreens stores. The 86 Walgreens stores across the state will now have Naloxone available over-the-counter. Along with increasing access to Naloxone, Gov. Hogan announces that many Walgreens stores have launched safe medication disposal kiosks where people can dispose of their unused or expired prescription medications and narcotics.
December 20, 2016:
The governor announces the second round of recipients of the 2016 Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance Grants, or BJAG awards. Much of the nearly $1 million in grants goes toward subtance abuse treatment.
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December 2016:
-With the support of Lt. Governor Rutherford, 65 agencies across Maryland sign addendums to mutually share case data with High Intensity Drug Trafficking Area (HIDTA), State Police, and the Baltimore Drug Enforcement Agency office for combined analysis and mutual case enhancement.
-The Governor’s Office of Community Initiatives contacts over 1,200 faith-based organizations to determine which provide drug counseling and treatment. There are 21 faith-based organizations throughout the state that provide treatment and counseling and give permission to publish their information.
2017
January 7, 2017:
The governor announces his Fiscal Year 2018 budget, which includes$1.3 billion for mental health and substance use disorder services, along with an additional $4 million in funding to bolster the state’s work to help those struggling with heroin and opioid addiction.
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January 13, 2017:
-The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention partners with Crisis Response Teams across the state to coordinate training, organize its first annual meeting to promote program practices, and assist with grant funding.
-The Governor’s Office of Crime Control & Prevention and other state agencies participate in a National Governors Association program to better address the heroin epidemic.
January 24, 2017:
Governor Hogan and Lt. Governor Rutherford announce the administration’s 2017 Heroin and Opioid Prevention, Treatment, and Enforcement Initiative—a multi-pronged and sweeping administrative and legislative effort to continue addressing Maryland’s ongoing opioid and heroin epidemic—and establish the Opioid Operational Command Center (OOCC).
The administration introduces the following legislation:
Distribution of Opioids Resulting in Death Act: creates a felony, punishable by up to 30 years, for individuals who distribute an opioid or opioid analog, the use of which causes the death of another.
Prescriber Limits Act:limits the duration of prescription opioids prescribed upon the initial consultation or treatment to a 7-day supply, except for when the opioid is prescribed for the treatment of pain associated with a cancer diagnosis or a terminal illness, or to treat a substance-related disorder.
Overdose Prevention Act: authorizes local fatality review teams to review non-fatal overdose data in addition to the fatal overdose data they currently review.
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February 23, 2017:
The Governor's Office onServiceandVolunteerism announces thatit is accepting concept papers for 2017 AmeriCorps State-Targeted Priority program grants in Maryland. These grants will fundserviceactivities that address critical community needs, namely the need to prevent prescription drug and opioid abuse and strengthen law enforcement and community relations.
March 1, 2017:
The governor signs an Executive Order declaring a State of Emergency in response to the heroin, opioid, and fentanyl crisis ravaging communities in Maryland and across the country. This declaration activates the governor’s emergency management authority and enables increased and more rapid coordination between the state and local jurisdictions. The governor, along with Lt. Governor Boyd Rutherford, also announces $50 million in new funding to address the crisis, as well as the appointment of the governor’s senior emergency management advisor Clay Stamp to lead the state’s coordinated effort to combat the crisis.
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March 2, 2017:
The governor releases a statewide public service announcement (PSA) urging parents to discuss the risks of heroin and opioid abuse with their children. The 30- and 60-second PSAs, titled “Before It’s Too Late,” feature actor Michael Kelly, star of an award-winning television series filmed in Maryland.
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