Shaheen Statement on House Passage of Legislation to Respond to the Opioid Epidemic

(Washington, DC) – Today the House passed legislation, similar to the Shaheen-sponsored Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) passed by the Senate in March, aimed at curbing the heroin and opioid crisis. The House legislation authorizes support for treatment providers and law enforcement’s efforts to combat drug trafficking, however, it does not provide funding for these programs. Shaheen is leading the fight in Congress to pass emergency funding to address the opioid crisis and has authored legislation to provide $600 million to programs aiding law enforcement and treatment providers on the frontlines. 

“I’m encouraged to see action by the House to begin to address this crisis,” said Shaheen. “This is good legislation that lays out a strategy for fighting the heroin and opioid epidemic. However, treatment providers and law enforcement will tell you that they need resources to implement that strategy and to immediately address this crisis that is devastating our communities and taking a life a day in New Hampshire. Without real dollars, CARA and its House counterpart are the equivalent of offering a life preserver with no air in it. Senate and House leadership must commit to passing emergency funding, like we’ve done when faced with previous health emergencies. My emergency funding legislation will save lives and I will continue to seek every opportunity to pass it.”

The House and Senate will convene a conference committee to reconcile the differences between their respective bills.

Also included in the House legislation is Shaheen-led bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the National All-Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) program, which provides grants to states to maintain, improve, and expand their prescription drug monitoring programs. This legislation recently passed the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee.