Washington Gov. Inslee signs fentanyl bill sending money to disproportionately affected tribes
Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a multimillion-dollar measure to send state money to tribes and Indigenous people in the state who die from opioid overdoses at disproportionately high rates in Washington
TULALIP, Wash. (AP) — Washington Gov. Jay Inslee has signed a multimillion-dollar measure to send state money to tribes and Indigenous people in the state who die from opioid overdoses at disproportionately high rates in Washington.
It was one of seven fentanyl-related bills Inslee signed Tuesday while on the Tulalip Indian Reservation, KING-TV reported. The bills, passed by the state Legislature this session, seek to comprehensively address the fentanyl crisis throughout the state by improving opioid education, overdose prevention, treatment access, recovery supports, and first-responder resources.
“We need to equip first responders with the life-saving materials they need,” Inslee said in an online blog post. “We need to implement programs in public education and prevention. We need special emphasis on youth and Tribal communities. We need to increase the number of treatment facilities to make it easier to get help.”
The state Legislature earlier this month overwhelmingly approved the tribes bill expected to provide nearly $8 million total each year until at least 2031 for the 29 federally recognized tribes in Washington. The funds will be drawn partly from a roughly half-billion-dollar settlement between the state and major opioid distributors.
