The Pathway to Recovery Act

Description: It is the intent of the Pathway to Recovery Act is to expand availability of and facilitate access to effective, health-based approaches to the substance use disorder crisis facing Washington state and to direct people with substance use disorder to treatment and recovery services through changes to laws which currently criminalize drug use.

Why this matters: The current system treats substance use disorder as a criminal issue rather than a public health issue, and a significant percentage of people with substance use disorders in Washington state are not receiving necessary services to help them recover. Factors contributing to this problem are gaps between the service needs and available system capacities, and gaps in information about substance use disorders and how to get help. The people of Washington find it unacceptable that services are either unavailable or inaccessible for people who want and need them, causing a great toll on our entire community, including tragic loss of life through overdose. 

Treating substance use like a crime, arresting and incarcerating people for personal use offenses, makes matters worse by disrupting and further destabilizing their lives. When access to services is cut off, people with opioid use disorder can be put at increased risk of overdose after release, and criminal records erect long-term barriers to education, housing, and employment, undermining efforts to achieve and maintain recovery.

The support provided through the Pathway to Recovery Act will lead to fewer overdoses, fewer unhoused people, and fewer people caught up in the criminal system.

Announcing the Pathways to Recovery Act - Washington State HB 1499

The Nitty Gritty:

Through the adoption of the Pathway to Recovery Act, the state will: 

(1) Expand treatment, recovery, and education services; 

(2) Increase the availability and accessibility of educational information regarding substance use disorders and how to get help