At least 15 bills have been filed by state lawmakers in an effort to combat Tennessee's opioid crisis. This is in addition to Governor Haslam's plan, which he laid out during his State of the State address, which focused on addiction prevention and rehab. The price tag for the governor's plan is about 25-million dollars.
Other proposals being considered are decreasing TennCare costs for opioid alternative drugs and forcing doctors to inform pregnant women of the risk of taking opioids during pregnancy.
State Representative Dr. Bryan Terry of Murfreesboro has filed bills that deal with the illegal manufacturing, sale and distribution of potent opioids like fentanyl and creating an opioid abuse hotline.