California Opioid Legislation 

Compiled by Ramon Castellblanch, PhD, Quality Healthcare Concepts, Inc.

Last updated: April 2021

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2017-2018 CA Opioid Legislative Summary
2019-2020 CA Opioid Legislative Summary

 2021 - 2022 Legislative Session 

Supervised Injection

SB 57 (Weiner)
Summary: Would permit the City and County of San Francisco, the County of Los Angeles, and the City of Oakland to approve entities to establish and operate overdose prevention programs (OPPs) until January 1, 2027. Would Require OPPs to provide specified services, including supervision by trained staff and referrals for treatment. Co-sponsored by California Society of Addiction Medicine.
Status: Senate Public Safety Committee
AJ Position: Support. Overdose prevention programs (particularly safe injection facilities) are an evidence-based frontline service to prevent opioid-related morbidity and mortality. Not only do they allow immediate intervention for individuals at risk of overdose, they create a point of contact that helps connect people with opioid use disorder to the social services and medication-assisted treatments that allow for recovery.

Recovery & Treatment Facilities

AB 77 (Petrie-Norris)
Summary: Commencing January 1, 2026, would require any substance use disorder treatment program to be licensed by the department, except as specified. The bill would require a substance use disorder program licensed pursuant to these provisions to adopt written policies and procedures, as specified. It would require that patient assessments be documented. It would require certain minimum requirements for substance use disorder program administrators and staff. It would require DHCS to conduct onsite visits to ensure compliance at least once during the licensure period
Status: Assembly Health Committee; possibly a two-year bill.

SB 349 (Umberg)
Summary: This bill would establish the California Ethical Treatment for Persons with Addiction Act. The bill would create a series of requirements for treatment providers and makes unlawful specified business practices to provide protection for substance use disorder treatment clients and their families.
Status: Senate Judiciary Committee
AJ Position: Support

SB 541 (Bates)
Summary: Would require a residential treatment facility or certified alcohol or drug program that is licensed or certified by the state to disclose its license number and expiration date in all marketing materials and to any person who inquires about the license.
Status: Senate Appropriations Committee

SB 434 (Bates)
Summary: Would prohibit an operator of a licensed residential treatment facility, a certified alcohol or other drug program, or licensed psychiatric or mental health facilities from providing any form of false advertising or marketing services.
Status: Senate Appropriations Committee

AB 381 (Davies - R)
Summary: Would require a substance use disorder residential treatment licensee to maintain at least 2 unexpired doses of naloxone on the premises at all times and have at least one staff member on the premises who knows the specific location of the naloxone and who has been trained to administer it.
Status: Senate Judiciary Committee

Methamphetamine Use Disorder Treatment

SB 110 (Weiner)
Summary: The bill would also require the California Department of Health Care Services (DHCS) to issue guidance and training on the use of contingency management programs for Medi-Cal patients. Such programs would feature an incentive structure, including, but not limited to, scaling rewards for continued evidence of specified behaviors or adherence to treatment goals, rewarding participants for specified behaviors, such as negative urinalysis. Aimed at growing methamphetamine use.
Status: Senate Health Committee
AJ Position: Support - Methamphetamine use disorders are exceptionally difficult to treat and lack reliable medical approaches. A growing evidence base shows contingency management is effective at reducing or preventing use. Furthermore, it incentivizes people enrolled in these programs to remain in close contact with clinical staff, which can lead to deeper behavioral and social services support.
Position Letter: Alcohol Justice

Needle Exchange

AB 1344 (Arambula)
Summary: Exempts needle and syringe exchange services application submission, authorizations, and operations performed under the existing clean needle and syringe exchange program from review under the California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA), as specified.
Status: Assembly Health Committee
AJ Position: Support