Inslee signs a bundle of bills advocating for Washington tribes and fighting opioid epidemic

A stack of bills tackling opioid awareness and prevention and legislation advocating for Washington tribes were signed into law on Tuesday.

Gov. Jay Inslee traveled to Tulalip, Washington, to sign nearly a dozen bills, joined by many members and children of the Tulalip Tribe and state lawmakers.

“We know there is no one solution to this problem,” Inslee said referencing the opioid epidemic. “It’s not just treatment, it’s not just education, it’s not just law enforcement, it’s not just therapy. It is all of these things.”

Washington’s opioid crisis disproportionately affects Native tribes. American Indian and Alaska Native residents have the highest rate of drug and opioid-related deaths compared to other races or ethnicities in the state, a trend increasing since 2019, according to the Washington State Department of Health.

Inslee emphasized his gratitude to all tribal communities statewide as they have been among the hardest hit by the opioid epidemic, and he praised the Legislature for working to create new opioid prevention and education policies.

Chairman of the Colville Business Council Jarred-Michael Erickson said this year’s session was “a step in the right direction” for tribes to address the fentanyl and opioid crisis they’re facing, especially in a short 60-day timeframe.

Here’s a look at what will become law in the coming months.

Opioid education and prevention bills

Tribal nations are set to receive substantial funding to help combat the opioid epidemic under the creation of the tribal opioid prevention and treatment account.

The account allocates $7.75 million or 20% of the funds deposited into the Opioid Abatement Settlement Account from the previous fiscal year – whichever is greater – to be annually given to tribes to address the opioid crisis. The funds come from opioid settlement money and can be used for treatment programs, education, prevention and recovery services.

The money in the account comes from settlements between the state and companies that produced or sold opioids, including CVS, Walgreens, Teva and Allergan. The state will receive around $480 million from settlements and payments will be received over a period of time anywhere from 6-17 years

In mid-January, Erickson voiced his support for the bill, underscoring the account’s necessary role in confronting the epidemic. He added that the Colville Tribe recently passed a resolution creating a task force and multi-tier approach to help address opioid treatment, recovery and prevention.

Two more bills focused on prevention education were signed into law.

One requires public and private colleges to provide opioid and fentanyl prevention instruction to all students either in person or electronically. They must also teach about the Good Samaritan Law, which legally protects people who help those at the scene of an emergency.

The second, named after Lucas Petty who died of a fentanyl overdose in 2022, requires substance use education in schools, highlighting the deadly nature of fentanyl and other opioids. Middle and high school health and physical education learning standards must also refer to opioids when giving drug-related instruction.

Erickson said he is satisfied with this bill because the Colville community and many others have been having issues with fentanyl.

“Prevention is a good step in making sure we’re educating our youth on how deadly these drugs can be,” he said.

Another new law requires all school districts, charter schools and state-tribal schools to carry naloxone, otherwise known as Narcan, which quickly reverses an opioid overdose. Previously, only school districts with more than 2,000 students were required to carry the medication in high schools.

Tribal support bills

With an overarching goal to build a multilingual and multiliterate Washington, school districts and state-tribal compact schools will now be eligible for a grant to create or expand on a dual language program starting in kindergarten, awarded by the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Dual language education means students are taught in both English and another world language – like American Sign Language or Indigenous languages.

The Office of Native Instruction also will be required to grant schools financial support to establish or build upon a tribal language program beginning in kindergarten.

Inchelium Superintendent Brian Freeman supported the bill at a January public hearing. He said the K-12 school currently offers Salish language and culture instruction, but the grant and tribal language education programs will be extremely useful for their school.

Another law will name the curriculum used to teach students about tribal history, culture and government after former Washington state Sen. John McCoy (known in Salish as lulilaš).

Known for championing Native rights policies, the Tulalip Tribe member advocated for tribal education throughout his time in the Legislature and worked to mandate tribal sovereignty instruction, known as Since Time Immemorial curriculum, in 2015.

“He was huge in paving the way and helping tribes in the state get ahead,” Erickson said.

Inslee also signed a measure creating a Native American apprentice assistance program offering financial support to those who are a member of a federally recognized Indian tribe in Washington, filed for college financial aid and are enrolled in a state-registered apprenticeship program.

Law enforcement officers can now enforce tribal warrants under law, preventing people who commit crimes on tribal lands from avoiding accountability by fleeing to state territory. They’re also allowed to transport offenders back to tribal lands for prosecution.

Another law allows members from Washington’s 29 federally recognized tribes to join the state’s emergency worker program, assisting in crucial emergency tasks such as communications, medical aid and search and rescue efforts.