*This item requires the waiver of Section 7.2 of the Special Rules of Order of the Town of Miami Lakes

According to the Florida League of Cities:

In 2008, Congress passed the Mental Health Parity and Addiction Equity Act, which made available additional insurance benefits to people with substance abuse disorders. The passage of the Affordable Care Act in 2010 authorized adults under the age of 26 to use their parents' insurance, required insurance providers to cover pre-existing conditions, and guaranteed coverage despite multiple drug relapses. These changes in insurance benefits opened the floodgates of money going to substance abuse treatment. As a result, recovery residences became big business. Florida has long been a destination for those trying to overcome an addiction. In 2016, a study by Minnesota-based health care company Optum found that more than 75 percent of young adults treated for substance abuse in Florida came from out of state. The increased regulation of pill-mills during this decade limited access to prescription narcotics and has led to an increase in the use of heroin and other more accessible synthetic opioids.

I would like to pass a resolution requesting that our Federal representatives repeal and replace the portions of federal law that created the sober home issue in our community.

Fiscal Impact: Low