House E&C Subcommittee Advances Treatment, Recovery, and Prevention Bills
Last week, the House Energy and Commerce Health Subcommittee advanced the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, which included two bills aimed to address the record-breaking number of overdose deaths in the United States and increase access to treatment, prevention, and recovery programs. The Subcommitee advanced the Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant Act of 2022, which would reauthorize the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration’s (SAMHSA) Substance Abuse and Treatment Block Grant (SABG) through 2027. The SABG provides funding for grantees in 50 states, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the U.S. Virgin Islands, 6 Pacific jurisdictions, and 1 tribal entity to plan, implement, and evaluate programs that focus on treatment, recovery, and prevention services.
The Subcommittee also advanced the Summer Barrow Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Act, which would reauthorize substance use disorder treatment and prevention programs for $900 million. The reauthorization would include the Substance Use Disorder Programs of National Significance Grant Programs and programs focused on overdose prevention, first responder training, co-prescribing programs, substance use disorder treatment for pregnant and postpartum women, and opioid alternatives. The Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act has been sent to the full House Committee on Energy and Commerce for a full committee vote.
Articles & Resources
Congressman Brett Guthrie – Guthrie’s Bills to Provide Substance Use Recovery Resources and Access to Medical Innovation Pass the Health Subcommittee
Congresswoman María Elvira Salazar – Rep. Salazar’s Mental Health & Substance Abuse Bill Clears Energy and Commerce Subcommittee
Lawmakers Introduce Bill to Address Surge in Counterfeit Pills
Last week, Senators Maggie Hassan (NH), John Cornyn (TX), and Dianne Feinstein (CA) introduced the Stop Pills That Kill Act, which would implement penalties for the production and possession of counterfeit pills that contain methamphetamine, fentanyl, and fentanyl analogues. The bill would require the Drug Enforcement Administration (DEA) to develop a plan to address the increase in and spread of counterfeit pills containing fentanyl or methamphetamine. The bill would also require that DEA collaborate closely with the Attorney General and the Office of National Drug Control Policy to issue annual reports to Congress about illicit pill seizures, investigations, prosecutions. In a statement, Senator Hassan said, “The rise of drug traffickers who disguise fentanyl as other pills has created a whole new frontier in the substance misuse fight. We must stay vigilant against these bad actors and use all resources at our disposal to crack down on counterfeit pill production.”
Articles & Resources
Senator Maggie Hassan – Senator Hassan, Colleagues Introduce Bipartisan Legislation to Deter Counterfeit Pills Laced with Fentanyl and Methamphetamine
What We Read Last Week
Several articles were published last week pertaining to the opioid epidemic, covering a variety of different components of the topic. Links to relevant articles are provided below.
CNN – In 2021, US drug overdose deaths hit highest level on record, CDC data shows
Congressman Chris Pappas – Pappas, Bacon, Lead Bipartisan Call for HHS to Update Opioid PHE Declaration to Include Methamphetamines
DEA – DEA Recognizes First Ever National Fentanyl Awareness Day
Fierce Healthcare – UPMC Health Plan to distribute home drug disposal kits to Medicare members
Roll Call – End of COVID-19 emergency endangers substance use treatment
Senator Bill Cassidy – Cassidy, Murphy Introduce Bill to Improve, Reauthorize Historic Mental Health Reform Act Before Expiration
This Week’s Calendar
In the week ahead, there are no relevant events or hearings noticed at this time. In the event that there are any changes to the schedule for this week, we will make additional information available.
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