Health: substance use disorder treatment; substance use disorder services programs requirements; modify, and prohibit the promulgation of certain rules. Amends secs. 6230 & 6234 of 1978 PA 368 (MCL 333.6230 & 333.6234).
Summary
SB 398 amends Michigan’s Public Health Code provisions governing substance use disorder services programs, with a focus on methadone treatment and mobile units. The bill directs the Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs to continue licensing authority over these programs, but it bars the department, beginning January 1, 2026, from adopting or enforcing several specific rules that would limit access to treatment or impose additional program requirements.
The bill prohibits rules that would require a mobile unit’s supervising program to provide the same treatment offered in the unit, cap the total number of mobile units a program may operate, require a patient to have a documented opioid use disorder for at least one year before receiving methadone treatment, require a health professional to document the medical necessity of continued methadone treatment, set discontinuation of medication for opioid use disorder as a program goal, or allow discharge for failure to participate in ancillary services and counseling. In effect, the bill narrows the department’s regulatory authority and protects broader access to medication-assisted treatment.
Impact
The bill amends MCL 333.6230 and 333.6234 in the Public Health Code. It preserves the department’s general rulemaking and licensing authority over substance use disorder services programs, but limits future rules in several areas related to mobile units and methadone treatment. The practical effect is to reduce state-level regulatory barriers for providers and patients, especially those relying on mobile treatment models and medication for opioid use disorder.
Sentiment
The available voting history suggests strong support for the bill. It was reported favorably without amendment in committee by a 10-0 vote and later passed the Senate 37-0. No committee transcript was provided, but the unanimous votes indicate broad bipartisan agreement or at least no recorded opposition at those stages.
Contention
The main points of contention reflected in the bill’s text concern how much the state should regulate substance use disorder treatment programs. Potential critics may object to limiting the department’s ability to require treatment standards, monitor continued methadone care, or set conditions for mobile unit licensure. Supporters appear to favor removing barriers to treatment access, expanding mobile service delivery, and preventing rules that could force patients out of care or make treatment harder to obtain.