HARRISBURG, Pa. (KYW Newsradio) — A Delaware County state representative got a standing ovation after he shared his family’s battle with addiction on the floor of the State House.
Rep. Craig Williams spoke last week in support of a trio of bills aimed at helping people with loved ones dealing with addiction.
"Just last summer, I lost my brother to addiction," Williams said.
"I can tell you, it’s not just the alcoholic or the addict that is suffering -- in this case, for 30 years. It’s his wife and four kids who, every time he came out of the penal system, every time he came out of a program, thought this was the moment."
Two of those bills deal with how recovery homes notify family or loved ones if someone decides to leave addiction treatment against medical advice or if they are evicted from a program.
The third bill lifts a requirement that someone needs a positive drug test before they can begin treatment.
Wiliams is a co-sponsor of that bill. The primary sponsor, Jack Rader Jr. from Monroe County, said someone in his district had stopped using but wanted to get into a treatment program, so he used an opioid to get a positive test result to qualify, but he overdosed.
“I’m asking you to support these three bills, because the families have a right to know where their loved one is when they come out of treatment, when they come out of a recovery home, when they come out of the penal system," Williams said. "It is a race against death."
The bills now head to the state Senate.