ASAM Recaps 2026 State Legislative Sessions with Mid-Year Report

Addiction-related policy continued to be a major focus for state legislatures throughout the first half of 2026. The American Society of Addiction Medicine's (ASAM) 2026 Mid-Year Report: Trends in Addiction Medicine State Legislation recaps those legislative efforts and summarizes major trends in addiction-related policy.

The companion document to the report provides a list of all enacted addiction medicine-related legislation tracked by ASAM in 2026.

Key Insights:

• In total, ASAM tracked 499 addiction medicine-related bills across 44 states.

• 14% of the bills ASAM tracked in 2026 were enacted into law. 36% of bills failed. The other 50% of bills are either in the introductory stage or under consideration.

• The top three priority areas for state legislators were Naloxone Access, Parity and Prior Authorization, and Access to Medications for Opioid Use Disorder (MOUD). When compared to last year, Naloxone Access continues to be the leading priority for lawmakers.

• Finally, independent ASAM State Chapters reported a range of advocacy activities in 2026, demonstrating the impact of local clinician voices. For example, the Colorado Society of Addiction Medicine reported support for legislation regulating sports betting and strengthening consumer protections, and the Virginia Society of Addiction Medicine engaged policymakers regarding patient access to MOUD.

Download the 2026 Mid-Year Report: Trends in Addiction Medicine State Legislation here and find a list of enacted state legislation here.