Resolutions urging the Congress of the United States to update the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 and remove excessive training requirements mandated for obtaining a waiver to prescribe buprenorphine
Generates a plain-language summary of the bill text and history.
| Date | Branch | Action |
|---|---|---|
| 3/23/2026 | House | Committee reported that the matter be placed in the Orders of the Day for the next sitting, the question being on adoption |
| 2/19/2026 | House | Resolutions reported favorably by committee and referred to the committee on House Steering, Policy and Scheduling |
| 11/13/2025 | Joint | Hearing rescheduled to 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-03:50 PM in B-1 and Virtual — Hearing updated to New End Time |
| 11/3/2025 | Joint | Hearing scheduled for 11/13/2025 from 01:00 PM-05:00 PM in B-1 |
| 2/27/2025 | Senate | Senate concurred |
| 2/27/2025 | House | Referred to the committee on Veterans and Federal Affairs |
No additional cosponsors.
| Committee | Recommendation | Vote |
|---|---|---|
| J31 | Favorable | 1 entries |
| H52 | Place in OD | — |
Whereas, since the 1990’s the United States of America has experienced a growing issue of the overprescribing of opioid pain relievers; and Whereas, this overprescribing of opioids has led to dependence and addiction to drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, which has resulted in a major public health crisis; and Whereas, in 2017, the United States Department of Health & Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency; and Whereas, according to 2016 and 2017 data compiled by the Department of Health & Human Services, more than 2.1 million people suffered from an opioid use disorder; and Whereas, in 2016 and 2017, an estimated 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids; and Whereas, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people per day in the United States die after overdosing on opioids; and Whereas, national experts say these numbers will only continue to grow; and Whereas, in order to combat this growing epidemic, new methods of treatment must be explored; and Whereas, Medically-Assisted Treatment has proven successful in reducing dependence on opioids and treating addiction; and Whereas, buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opiate addiction; and Whereas, buprenorphine in combination with naxolone (Narcan) is Suboxone, a method of Medically-Assisted Treatment in the form of a pill taken orally every 24 hours with the potential to reduce symptoms of opiate addiction and withdrawal; and Whereas, buprenorphine is a Schedule III drug, meaning it carries “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”; and Whereas, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 stipulates that in order to prescribe buprenorphine, a physician must complete an 8-hour training and take an exam, as well as obtain a specific “X license” through the DEA; and Whereas, doctors may prescribe all other Schedule III drugs, as well as some Schedule II drugs (with a “high potential for abuse, which may lead to psychological or physical dependence”) utilizing their DEA license and without going through any special training or obtaining any separate licenses; and Whereas, the requirements to prescribe buprenorphine are unreasonably stringent with no precedent set in the prescribing of other Schedule III drugs; and Whereas, these unreasonable requirements are a deterrent for physicians to prescribe this potentially life-saving drug; and Whereas, it is incumbent upon Congress to take every measure to treat drug addiction; be it therefore Resolved, that The General Court urges the United States Congress to update the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to remove excessive training requirements mandated to prescribe buprenorphine; and be it further Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the Clerk of the House to the Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation.
Whereas, since the 1990’s the United States of America has experienced a growing issue of the overprescribing of opioid pain relievers; and Whereas, this overprescribing of opioids has led to dependence and addiction to drugs such as heroin and fentanyl, which has resulted in a major public health crisis; and Whereas, in 2017, the United States Department of Health & Human Services declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency; and Whereas, according to 2016 and 2017 data compiled by the Department of Health & Human Services, more than 2.1 million people suffered from an opioid use disorder; and Whereas, in 2016 and 2017, an estimated 42,249 people died from overdosing on opioids; and Whereas, according to the National Institute on Drug Abuse, more than 130 people per day in the United States die after overdosing on opioids; and Whereas, national experts say these numbers will only continue to grow; and Whereas, in order to combat this growing epidemic, new methods of treatment must be explored; and Whereas, Medically-Assisted Treatment has proven successful in reducing dependence on opioids and treating addiction; and Whereas, buprenorphine is a medication used to treat opiate addiction; and Whereas, buprenorphine in combination with naxolone (Narcan) is Suboxone, a method of Medically-Assisted Treatment in the form of a pill taken orally every 24 hours with the potential to reduce symptoms of opiate addiction and withdrawal; and Whereas, buprenorphine is a Schedule III drug, meaning it carries “moderate to low potential for physical and psychological dependence”; and Whereas, the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 stipulates that in order to prescribe buprenorphine, a physician must complete an 8-hour training and take an exam, as well as obtain a specific “X license” through the DEA; and Whereas, doctors may prescribe all other Schedule III drugs, as well as some Schedule II drugs (with a “high potential for abuse, which may lead to psychological or physical dependence”) utilizing their DEA license and without going through any special training or obtaining any separate licenses; and Whereas, the requirements to prescribe buprenorphine are unreasonably stringent with no precedent set in the prescribing of other Schedule III drugs; and Whereas, these unreasonable requirements are a deterrent for physicians to prescribe this potentially life-saving drug; and Whereas, it is incumbent upon Congress to take every measure to treat drug addiction; be it therefore Resolved, that The General Court urges the United States Congress to update the Drug Addiction Treatment Act of 2000 to remove excessive training requirements mandated to prescribe buprenorphine; and be it further Resolved, that copies of these resolutions be forwarded by the Clerk of the House to the Vice-President of the United States, the Speaker of the House of Representatives and the members of the Massachusetts Congressional delegation.