Rhode Island recently became the first state to endorse the establishment of overdose prevention centers. Now, Minnesota has followed suit, becoming the second state to formally support these types of centers to help combat the opioid epidemic, reported the Drug Policy Alliance (DPA).
On Wednesday, Governor Tim Walz signed Senate File 2934, the Human Services budget proposal, which includes a section mandating the Minnesota Commissioner of Human Services to “establish safe recovery sites that offer harm reduction services and supplies, including but not limited to safe injection spaces.”
Under the proposal, $14 million in one-time financial aid is earmarked to be distributed annually until 2029. This funding, included in the Governor’s biennial budget recommendations to the Minnesota Legislature, will be used to …