SB1896 Summary

• Amends the Alcoholism and Other Drug Abuse and Dependency Act to modernize terminology and definitions, including adopting DSM and ICD standards for defining substance abuse and use disorders.

• Renames the "Compulsive Gambling Program" to the "Disordered Gambling Program" and requires funding for treatment of disordered gambling.

• Establishes comprehensive statewide prevention and treatment systems with a minimum capacity to serve 15% of identified need, increasing by at least 1% annually starting in fiscal year 2012.

• Adds protections against discrimination in health coverage and healthcare services for individuals with substance use disorders, including prohibitions on denying coverage or discriminating in pricing based on treatment records.

• Expands definitions and services to include recovery support services, telecounseling, and telepsychiatry; updates references from outdated agencies to current departments (e.g., "Department of Public Aid" to "Department of Healthcare and Family Services").