BHB/1/15
Sponsored by Cody Whitehurst, Caden Calendine, Stewart Claassen of Brentwood Academy
This legislation was filed in the Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services category
Presented as part of the YIG Volunteer 2024 conference
| 1 | BE IT ENACTED BY THE TENNESSEE YMCA YOUTH LEGISLATURE |
| 2 | |
| 3 | Section 1: Terms used in this act are defined as follows: |
| 4 | a) Illicit Opioids -non pharmaceutical fentanyl mixed with cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamine |
| 5 | (meth). |
| 6 | b) Fatalities - deaths or injuries that lead to death. |
| 7 | c) Opioid - substances that act on opioid receptors to produce morphine like effects used for pain |
| 8 | relief (sometimes mixed with cocaine, heroin, or methamphetamines). |
| 9 | d) Constituency- a body of supporters or voters. |
| 10 | e) Rehabilitation (rehab) - the action of restoring someone to former privileges or reputation after |
| 11 | a period of disfavor. |
| 12 | f) Referendum- a general vote by the electorate on a single political question that has been |
| 13 | referred to them for a direct decision. |
| 14 | |
| 15 | Section 2: This bill will create more public opioid rehabilitation centers in the state of Tennessee to |
| 16 | help prevent deaths and addiction from drugs in the state of Tennessee. |
| 17 | |
| 18 | Section 3: Any county in the state of Tennessee can apply to build or expand its drug rehabilitation |
| 19 | center(s) with taxpayer dollars. The county will be chosen by the rate of opioid fatalities. |
| 20 | |
| 21 | Section 4: Upon being chosen to build or expand drug rehabilitation centers, the state will fund no |
| 22 | less than 55% and no more than 75% with the percentage based on the resources the county has |
| 23 | available. |
| 24 | |
| 25 | Section 5: The constituents in the county will vote via referendum on funding options to cover the |
| 26 | remaining cost. Each county government will have authority to determine the specifics of the |
| 27 | options related to the following: |
| 28 | a) By minimal upping taxes long term to aim for new rehabilitation centers in the future |
| 29 | b) By substantial upping of taxes short term to fund rehabilitation centers for more present use. |
| 30 | Section 6: Funding for new or expanding current rehabilitation centers. |
| 31 | a) The cost of building new residential rehabilitation centers are between five to nine million |
| 32 | dollars. |
| 33 | b) cost of starting new intensive outreach programs range between three hundred thousand to six |
| 34 | hundred thousand. |
| 35 | c) cost of building sober living homes range between two hundred thousand to seven hundred |
| 36 | thousand. |
| 37 | d) cost to expand residential rehabilitation centers is between two to four million dollars. |
| 38 | e) cost of expanding intensive outreach programs ranges from two hundred thousand to five |
| 39 | |
| 40 | Section 7: Cost of running rehabilitation facilities: |
| 41 | a) cost for utilities in one year will be twenty-five thousand for a residential rehabilitation center. |
| 42 | b) cost for utilities in one year will be ten thousand for a sober living home. |
| 43 | c) cost for electricity in one year will be around one and a half thousand for sober living homes. |
| 44 | d) cost for electricity in one year will be around five thousand for residential rehabilitation centers. |
| 45 | |
| 46 | Section 8: All laws or parts of laws in conflict of this act will be repealed. Upon approval of this bill, |
| 47 | it will be put in place by the Tennessee Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse |
| 48 | Services. |
| 49 | |
| 50 | Section 9: This act will take effect in the taxpayers season for the tax year of 2024 (Date still to be |
| 51 | determined). |
| 52 |