Building on the state’s commitment to address the opioid crisis, Governor Pritzker signed Executive Order 2020-02 to better address racial disparities in responding to the opioid crisis by establishing the Governor’s Opioid Overdose Prevention and Recovery Steering Committee. Illinois is also dedicating $4.1 million state dollars to expand recovery and prevention services for individuals with opioid use disorder in all corners of the state. This year, Illinois saw the first decrease in five years in opioid overdose deaths. Despite this decrease, opioid overdose deaths among white residents in Illinois decreased seven percent in 2018 while deaths among African Americans increased 9.1 percent and deaths among Latinos increased by 4.3 percent. The Governor’s Office in conjunction with the state’s Opioid Crisis Response Advisory Council will create an Opioid Social Equity Committee to make policy recommendations regarding how to address social and racial disparities in the opioid crisis response. Last year Governor Pritzker signed the Overdose Prevention and Harm Reduction Act (PA101-0356), which also focuses on harm reduction and allows for the establishment and operation of a needle and hypodermic syringe access program or syringe services programs to help prevent the spread of infection and disease. An additional $500,000 will be invested in the syringe services programs.