NASHVILLE - The Tennessee House this evening approved two bills key to Gov. Bill Haslam's "TN Together" initiative that seeks to combat the state's opioid crisis.
One bill, a compromise between the administration and physicians, places new limits on narcotic painkiller prescriptions to many first-time patients in an effort to prevent the "opioid naive" from becoming addicted.
It would not affect patients already using opioids and also allows new patients in end-of-life care and some chronic conditions access to the drugs.
The bill passed on an 88-7 vote. Senators have yet to act on the legislation.
The second bill, approved 95-1, revises various provisions of law regarding the scheduling of controlled substances and their analogues and derivatives.
A major provision is aimed at state inmates who are addicted to opioids, authorizing sentence reduction credits for those who successfully complete intensive substance use disorder treatment program.
The overall program calls for spending some $30 million annually in state and federal dollars on prevention, treatment and law enforcement in a state with one of the nation's worst opioid problems.
The largest expenditure - $25 million - would go toward paying for treatment and recovery programs for those who can't afford them.
Rep. Bo Mitchell, D-Nashville, told Assistant Majority Leader David Hawk, R-Greeneville, that the prescribing measure is "just a start," later adding, "I hope no one in room thinks it solves the crisis."
Nonetheless, Mitchell said, it represents a "good start."
Both bills are still pending in the Senate.
Contact Andy Sher at asher@timesfreepress.com or 615-255-0550. Follow him on Twitter @AndySher1.