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A2378
ASSEMBLY, No. 2378
STATE OF NEW JERSEY
222nd LEGISLATURE
�
PRE-FILED FOR INTRODUCTION IN THE 2026 SESSION
Sponsored by:
Assemblyman WILLIAM F. MOEN, JR.
District 5 (Camden and Gloucester)
Assemblywoman SHANIQUE SPEIGHT
District 29 (Essex and Hudson)
Co-Sponsored by:
Assemblyman Azzariti Jr.
SYNOPSIS
���� Establishes "Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot
Program;" appropriates $225,000.
CURRENT VERSION OF TEXT
���� Introduced Pending Technical Review by Legislative
Counsel.
��
An Act
concerning opioid treatment programs, supplementing
Title 26 of the Revised Statutes and making an appropriation.
����
Be It
Enacted
by the Senate and General Assembly of
the State of New Jersey:
���� 1.� As used in this act:
���� �Commissioner� means the
Commissioner of Human Services.
���� �Department� means the
Department of Human Services.
���� �Division� means the Division
of Mental Health and Addiction Services in the Department of Human Services.
���� �Opioid treatment program�
means a program certified as an opioid treatment program by the federal
Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration and licensed to
operate as an opioid treatment program in this State by the Department of Human
Services.
���� �Pilot program� means the
Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program established by this act.
���� �Remote methadone dosing�
means the use of telehealth and telemedicine to remotely monitor a patient�s
methadone-based treatment, which treatment is administered in the form of
take-home doses of methadone.
���� 2.� a.� The Department of
Human Services shall establish a three-year Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot
Program.� The goal of the program will be: to increase the compliance of, and
reduce the costs of providing, medication assisted treatment provided by participating
opioid treatment programs through the use of remote methadone dosing; to
evaluate the effect remote methadone dosing has on patient outcomes and
cost-savings in the treatment of opioid use disorder; and to develop any
recommendations for legislative or regulatory action concerning whether remote
methadone dosing should be implemented in opioid treatment programs in this
State.
���� b.� The division shall select
one opioid treatment program each in the cities of Atlantic City, Camden, and
Paterson to participate in the pilot program.
���� c.� In accordance with
applicable federal and State laws and when clinically appropriate, each opioid
treatment program participating in the pilot program shall be authorized to
utilize remote methadone dosing to treat a patient who is receiving methadone-based
treatment and is eligible to receive take-home doses of methadone.� In treating
patients using remote methadone dosing, participating opioid treatment programs
shall utilize a provider of an online-enabled technology application, service,
website, or system that facilitates remote methadone dosing approved by the
department.
���� d.� Under no circumstances
shall the State or an opioid treatment program require that a patient
participate in the pilot program.
���� e.� Each opioid treatment
program participating in the pilot program shall annually report to the
department, in a manner prescribed by the commissioner, information on patient
outcomes and cost-savings as a result of the pilot program, including information
on:
���� (a)� the number of patients
treated using remote methadone dosing;
���� (b)�� treatment compliance;
���� (c)� the average time each
patient spends being treated using remote methadone dosing;
���� (d)�� patient retention;
���� (e)�� any realized reduction
in medical transportation costs; and
���� (f)� any other information the
department deems relevant in evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program.
���� 3.� The Department of Human
Services shall, no later than four years after the date the program is
established, prepare and submit to the Governor and, pursuant to section 2 of
P.L.1991, c.164 (C.52:14-19.1) to the Legislature, a report that shall include:
���� a.� an analysis on the impact
of the pilot program on patient outcomes and cost-savings using the information
collected pursuant to subsection e. of section 2 of this act;
���� b.� any recommendations for
legislative or regulatory action concerning the potential expansion of remote
methadone dosing in opioid treatment programs in this State; and
���� c.� any other information the
department deems relevant in evaluating the effectiveness of the pilot program.
���� 4.� There is appropriated from
the General Fund to the Department of Human Services the sum of $225,000 to
implement the provisions of this act.� The department shall issue a grant in
the amount of $75,000 to each opioid treatment program selected to participate
in the Remote Methadone Dosing Pilot Program to effectuate the provisions of
this act.
����
���� 5.� The Commissioner of Human
Services and the Commissioner of Health may each adopt rules and regulations,
pursuant to the �Administrative Procedure Act,� P.L.1968, c.410 (C.52:14B-1 et
seq.), as are necessary to implement the provisions of this act.�
���� 6.� This act shall take effect
90 days after the date of enactment.
STATEMENT
����� This bill establishes the Remote Methadone Dosing
Pilot Program in the Department of Human Services (DHS).� The goal of the
program will be: �to increase the compliance of, and reduce the costs of
providing, medication assisted treatment provided by participating opioid
treatment programs (OTP) through the use of remote methadone dosing; to
evaluate the effect remote methadone dosing has on patient outcomes and
cost-savings in the treatment of opioid use disorder; and to develop any
recommendations for legislative or regulatory action concerning whether remote
methadone dosing should be implemented in opioid treatment programs in this
State.
����� The bill defines �remote methadone dosing� to mean
the use of telehealth and telemedicine to remotely monitor a patient�s
methadone-based treatment, which treatment is administered in the form of
take-home doses of methadone.
����� Under this bill, the Division of Mental Health and
Addiction Services in the DHS will select one OTP each from the cities of
Atlantic City, Camden, and Paterson to participate in the program.� In
accordance with applicable federal and State laws and when clinically
appropriate, each OTP participating in the pilot program will be authorized to
utilize remote methadone dosing to treat a patient who is receiving
methadone-based treatment and is eligible to receive take-home doses of
methadone.� In treating patients using remote methadone dosing, participating
OTPs will utilize a provider of an online-enabled technology application,
service, website, or system that facilitates remote methadone dosing approved
by the department.� Under no circumstances will the State or an opioid
treatment program require that a patient participate in the pilot program.
����� Each participating OTP will be required to annually
report to the department information on patient outcomes and cost-savings as a
result of the pilot program, including information on:� the number of patients
treated using remote methadone dosing; treatment compliance; the average time
each patient spends being treated using remote methadone dosing; patient
retention; any realized reduction in medical transportation costs; and� any
other information the department deems relevant in evaluating the effectiveness
of the pilot program.
����� The bill requires DHS, no later than four years after
the date the program is established, to prepare and submit to the Governor and
Legislature a report that includes: an analysis on the impact of the pilot
program on patient outcomes and cost-savings using the information received
from participating OTPs; any recommendations for legislative or regulatory
action concerning the potential expansion of remote methadone dosing in OTPs in
this State; and any other information the department deems relevant in evaluating
the effectiveness of the pilot program.
����� The bill is appropriates $225,000 from the General
Fund to the DHS.� The department will then issue a grant in the amount of
$75,000 to each participating OTP to effectuate the provisions of the bill.