SENATE BILL NO. 1251 Offered January 10, 2007 Prefiled January 10, 2007 A BILL to amend and reenact § 2.2-2697 of the Code of Virginia, relating to the Substance Abuse Services Council; review of state agency substance abuse treatment programs. ---------- Patron-- Herring ---------- Referred to Committee on General Laws and Technology ----------

Be it enacted by the General Assembly of Virginia:

1.  That § 2.2-2697 of the Code of Virginia is amended and reenacted as follows:

§ 2.2-2697. Review of state agency substance abuse treatment programs.

A. On or before December 1, 2005, the Council shall forward to the Governor and the General Assembly a Comprehensive Interagency State Plan identifying for each agency in state government (i) the substance abuse treatment program the agency administers; (ii) the program's objectives, including outcome measures for each program objective; (iii) program actions to achieve the objectives; (iv) the costs necessary to implement the program actions; and (v) an estimate of the extent these programs have met demand for substance abuse treatment services in the Commonwealth. The Council shall develop specific criteria for outcome data collection for all affected agencies, including a comparison of the extent to which the existing outcome measures address applicable federally mandated outcome measures and an identification of common outcome measures across agencies and programs. The plan shall also include an assessment of each agency's capacity to collect, analyze, and report the information required by subsection B.

B. Beginning in 2006, the Comprehensive Interagency State Plan shall include the following analysis for each agency-administered substance abuse treatment program: (i) the amount of funding expended under the program for the prior most current fiscal year available; (ii) the number of individuals served by the program using that funding; (iii) the extent to which agency programs  are employing evidence-based practices; program objectives have been accomplished as reflected by an evaluation of outcome measures; (iv) identifying the most effective substance abuse treatment, based on a combination of per person costs and success in meeting program objectives; (v) how effectiveness could be improved; (vi) an estimate of the cost effectiveness of these programs; and (vii) (iv) recommendations on the funding of programs based on these analyses.

C. All agencies identified in the Comprehensive Interagency State Plan as administering a substance abuse treatment program shall provide the information and staff support necessary for the Council to complete the Plan. In addition, any agency that captures outcome-related information concerning substance abuse programs identified in subsection B shall make this information available for analysis upon request.