HR0650 103RD GENERAL ASSEMBLY

HR0650 LRB103 39796 ECR 70381 r

HOUSE RESOLUTION

WHEREAS, Governor JB Pritzker's proposed FY25 budget includes a disheartening cut of close to $45 million to the Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (SUPR) in appropriation authority compared to FY24; and

WHEREAS, The proposed reduction includes a decrease of $15 million in general revenue funds (GRF), including a $3 million cut to addiction treatment for Medicaid eligible individuals, a $3 million cut to grants for addiction treatment to the Department of Child and Family Services (DCFS), and a $9 million cut to addiction treatment service grants; and

WHEREAS, The proposed reduction in FY25 federal funds appropriations for substance abuse disorder treatment totals almost $33 million, including a reduction of $22 million for addiction treatment service grants and a $15 million reduction for addiction treatment, prevention, and related services grants; and

WHEREAS, The Department of Human Services (DHS) has indicated that these reductions are due to excess appropriations authority and that the request fully funds the FY25 estimated liability, a liability that is the same as the FY24 estimated expenditures; and

WHEREAS, Our State is facing unprecedented numbers regarding overdoses, overdose deaths, and those living with addiction; and

WHEREAS, Since 2013, the Illinois Department of Public Health (DPH) has reported a 3,341% increase in synthetic opioid overdose deaths; and

WHEREAS, Synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, are hundreds to thousands of times more toxic than heroin, and heroin and street drugs are often mixed with fentanyl; and

WHEREAS, In 2022, there were 2.7 times more opioid deaths than car crash deaths and 2.5 times more opioid deaths than homicides; and

WHEREAS, Opioid use disorder is a public health crisis in the United States; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's FY25 budget proposal states that the trend in the opioid epidemic "has evolved to an overdose crisis as the illicit drug market continues to change and the residual impacts from COVID-19 linger"; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's FY25 budget proposal states that "At the end of 2019, prior to the pandemic, there were 16,811 opioid related overdoses in Illinois, with 2,219, or 13.2 percent, being fatal"; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's FY25 budget proposal states that "During calendar year 2022, there were 18,547 opioid-related overdoses. That same year, Illinois recorded 3,908 overall overdose deaths with 3,261 associated with any opioid, a staggering 83.4 percent"; and

WHEREAS, The Governor's FY25 budget proposal also states that the "Illinois Department of Human Services Division of Substance Use Prevention and Recovery (DHS/SUPR) is firmly committed to addressing this issue through prevention, intervention, and treatment"; and

WHEREAS, The above statistics shared by the Governor clearly demonstrate that Illinois is not doing enough to address the opioid epidemic that the residents in the State are facing; and

WHEREAS, It is imperative for the Governor to direct DHS to expand the size and scope of SUPR to mitigate the damage caused by this epidemic; and

WHEREAS, Protecting residents of the State from the opioid crisis and protecting other substance abuse related services should be prioritized over providing any additional funding for migrants or undocumented immigrants coming to Illinois; and

WHEREAS, Unfortunately, the Governor's FY25 proposed budget for SUPR establishes the same level of inadequate treatment provided in FY24, despite what appears to be an upward trend in opioid overdoses and deaths; therefore, be it

RESOLVED, BY THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES OF THE ONE HUNDRED THIRD GENERAL ASSEMBLY OF THE STATE OF ILLINOIS, that we urge Governor JB Pritzker and the Department of Human Services (DHS) to restore the proposed cuts to substance abuse and treatment; and be it further

RESOLVED, That suitable copies of this resolution be provided to Governor Pritzker and the DHS Secretary Dulce Quintaro.