An Act to Amend the Opioid Education Requirements
Maine Legislature, Session 131, LD 1323
Committee: Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services
Sponsors: NUTTING
Amends: 32 MRSA §2210, 32 MRSA §2600-C, 32 MRSA §3300-F, 32 MRSA §3657, 32 MRSA §18308

Legislative Document
No. 1323
H.P. 838
House of Representatives, March 23, 2023
An Act to Amend the Opioid Education Requirements
Reference to the Committee on Health Coverage, Insurance and Financial Services 
suggested and ordered printed.
ROBERT B. HUNT
Clerk
Presented by Representative NUTTING of Oakland.
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1.  32 MRSA §2210, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §13, is amended 
to read:
4.  Continuing education.  By December 31, 2017, an individual licensed under this 
chapter must successfully complete 3 hours of continuing education every 2 years on the 
prescription of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. 
Beginning December 31, 2023, an individual licensed under this chapter must successfully 
complete one hour of continuing education every 2 years on the prescription of opioid 
medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. The board 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.
Sec. 2.  32 MRSA §2600-C, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §17, is amended 
to read:
4.  Continuing education.  By December 31, 2017, an individual licensed under this 
chapter must successfully complete 3 hours of continuing education every 2 years on the 
prescription of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. 
Beginning December 31, 2023, an individual licensed under this chapter must successfully 
complete one hour of continuing education every 2 years on the prescription of opioid 
medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. The board 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.
Sec. 3.  32 MRSA §3300-F, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §20, is amended 
to read:
4.  Continuing education.  By December 31, 2017, an individual licensed under this 
chapter must successfully complete 3 hours of continuing education every 2 years on the 
prescription of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. 
Beginning December 31, 2023, an individual licensed under this chapter must successfully 
complete one hour of continuing education every 2 years on the prescription of opioid 
medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. The board 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.
Sec. 4.  32 MRSA §3657, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §23, is amended 
to read:
4.  Continuing education.  By December 31, 2017, an individual licensed under this 
chapter must successfully complete 3 hours of continuing education every 2 years on the 
prescription of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. 
Beginning December 31, 2023, an individual licensed under this chapter must successfully 
complete one hour of continuing education every 2 years on the prescription of opioid 
medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. The board 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.
Sec. 5.  32 MRSA §18308, sub-§4, as enacted by PL 2015, c. 488, §32, is amended 
to read:
4.  Continuing education.  By December 31, 2017, an individual licensed under this 
chapter must successfully complete 3 hours of continuing education every 2 years on the 
prescription of opioid medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. 
Beginning December 31, 2023, an individual licensed under this chapter must successfully 
complete one hour of continuing education every 2 years on the prescription of opioid 
medication as a condition of prescribing opioid medication. The board 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 reduces the number of hours of continuing education on the prescription of 
opioid medication a health care provider who prescribes opioid medication must complete 
from 3 hours every 2 years to one hour every 2 years.