An Act To Reduce Costs and Increase Access to Methadone Treatment
Maine Legislature, Session 126, LD 1213
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: LOCKMAN, GRATWICK, CUSHING, CASSIDY, FREY, GOODE, KORNFIELD, SCHNECK
Amends: 5 MRSA §20010

Legislative Document 
No. 1213 
H.P. 858 
House of Representatives, March 26, 2013 
An Act To Reduce Costs and Increase Access to Methadone 
Treatment 
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed. 
MILLICENT M. MacFARLAND 
Clerk 
Presented by Representative LOCKMAN of Amherst. 
Cosponsored by Senator GRATWICK of Penobscot, Senator CUSHING of Penobscot and 
Representatives: CASSIDY of Lubec, FREY of Bangor, GOODE of Bangor, KORNFIELD of 
Bangor, SCHNECK of Bangor. 
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows: 
Sec. 1.  5 MRSA §20010 is enacted to read: 
§20010.  Methadone treatment 
The department shall take the following steps to reduce the cost of and increase 
access to methadone treatment. 
1.  Licensing.  The department shall license as a methadone treatment clinic a 
federally qualified health center or other health care provider or medical practice that 
applies for licensure and meets all state and federal requirements. 
2.  Treatment location.  The department shall require that a member of the 
MaineCare program under Title 22, chapter 855 who is eligible for services at a licensed 
methadone treatment clinic enroll at the clinic closest to the residence of the person 
unless the person is exempt from this requirement in accordance with rules adopted by 
the department.  The department shall work with licensed methadone treatment clinics to 
facilitate access to services and distribution of services across the State. 
3.  Rules.  The department shall adopt rules to implement this section.  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, 
subchapter 2-A. 
Sec. 2.  Rules.  The Department of Health and Human Services shall amend the 
rules for licensed methadone treatment clinics to eliminate the requirement that the 
centers be open for administration of methadone treatment on Sundays.  Rules adopted 
pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised 
Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.  The department shall work with current 
clinics, potential licensees, federal parties and other stakeholder groups to address 
barriers to providing this service that exist in rules and policies at local, state and national 
levels. 
SUMMARY 
This bill proposes to decrease costs of and increase access to substance abuse 
treatment services by requiring the Department of Health and Human Services to increase 
the number of federally qualified health centers that provide methadone treatment 
services, to require enrollment at the clinic closest to the person's home and to work to 
facilitate access to services and distribution of services across the State.  The bill requires 
the department to amend the methadone clinic rules to eliminate the requirement that the 
centers be open for administration of methadone treatment on Sundays.  The bill 
designates the rules as routine technical rules.  The department is required to work with 
stakeholders to address current rules and policies that act as barriers to achieve the intent 
of this legislation.