An Act To Require Housing Facilities for Persons with Substance Use Disorder Be Equipped with Naloxone
Maine Legislature, Session 129, LD 0303
Committee: Health and Human Services
Sponsors: STEWART, DILL, McCREIGHT, PERRY, CYRWAY
Amends: 22 MRSA §2353

Legislative Document
No. 303
H.P. 227
House of Representatives, January 22, 2019
An Act To Require Housing Facilities for Persons with Substance 
Use Disorder Be Equipped with Naloxone
Reference to the Committee on Health and Human Services suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative STEWART of Presque Isle.
Cosponsored by Senator DILL of Penobscot and
Representatives: McCREIGHT of Harpswell, PERRY of Calais, Senator: CYRWAY of 
Kennebec.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  22 MRSA §2353, sub-§1, ¶A-1 is enacted to read:
A-1.  "Housing-based program" means a program run by an organization that 
provides housing for an individual with substance use disorder, including, but not 
limited to, a residential substance use disorder treatment facility and a recovery 
residence.
Sec. 2.  22 MRSA §2353, sub-§1, ¶E is enacted to read:
E.  "Recovery residence" means a shared living residence for individuals recovering 
from substance use disorder that provides an environment free of alcohol and illegal 
drugs.
Sec. 3.  22 MRSA §2353, sub-§4-A is enacted to read:
4-A.  Housing-based programs; standing orders for naloxone hydrochloride.  
Acting under standing orders from a licensed health care professional authorized by law 
to prescribe naloxone hydrochloride, a housing-based program shall operate in 
accordance with rules adopted by the department and the provisions of this subsection.
A.  Notwithstanding any other provision of law, a housing-based program shall store 
and dispense naloxone hydrochloride and is not subject to the provisions of Title 32, 
chapter 117.  The housing-based program shall store on site at least one unit of 
naloxone hydrochloride for every 3 residents of the housing-based program.
B.  A housing-based program shall provide training in administration of naloxone 
hydrochloride that meets the protocols and criteria established by the department, and 
full-time employees shall successfully complete the training.
C.  A housing-based program shall distribute unit-of-use packages of naloxone 
hydrochloride and the medical supplies necessary to administer the naloxone 
hydrochloride to a full-time employee of the housing-based program who has 
successfully completed the training described in paragraph B so that the employee 
may possess and administer naloxone hydrochloride to an individual who appears to 
be experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose.
The department shall adopt rules to implement this subsection.  Rules adopted pursuant to 
this subsection are routine technical rules as defined in Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 
2-A.
SUMMARY
This bill requires organizations that provide housing to persons with substance use 
disorder to store one unit of naloxone hydrochloride for every 3 residents.  It also requires 
these organizations to provide training to full-time employees so that an employee may 
possess and administer naloxone hydrochloride to an individual who appears to be 
experiencing an opioid-related drug overdose.  It directs the Department of Health and 
Human Services to adopt rules to implement these requirements.