Shaheen, Grassley Bipartisan Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day Resolution Unanimously Passed by Senate

(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) and Chuck Grassley (R-IA), co-chair of the Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, applauded the Senate’s unanimous passage of their resolution designating August 21, 2024, as “Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day.” The bipartisan effort aims to drive awareness of the dangers of fentanyl and encourage drug-free lifestyles.

“In the Granite State, we’ve lost far too many lives to substance use disorder—a majority of which have been due to fentanyl overdoses,” said Senator Shaheen. “I’m proud to see this bipartisan resolution recognizing Fentanyl Prevention and Awareness Day pass the Senate unanimously—serving as both a memorial to the countless lives cut short by fentanyl overdoses and as a reminder that we still have so much more to do to address the substance use disorder crisis in communities across the nation.”

“Too many Americans know the pain of losing a loved one to fentanyl,” said Senator Grassley. “As we continue to fight the illegal production and flow of fentanyl, the Senate stands unified in our resolve to halt this crisis.”

A copy of the Resolution can be found here.

Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to address the substance use disorder crisis, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the Department of Justice. Shaheen has also worked to increase access to substance use treatment in New Hampshire. Recently, Shaheen’s NOPAIN Act, legislation she introduced and ushered into law, was implemented as part of the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services’ Calendar Year 2025 Medicare Hospital Outpatient Prospective Payment System proposed rule. Shaheen also led the New Hampshire congressional delegation in fighting for $29,880,604 in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants directed to the state. Shaheen fought to secure this funding in the government funding legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 that was signed into law. Increased funding followed the passage of Shaheen-led legislation, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act, which increased funding and provided critical flexibilities for states administering SOR spending. In recent years, Shaheen successfully pushed the Department of Health and Human Services to maintain SOR funding levels for New Hampshire and avoid significant cliffs in funding year-over-year. Shaheen's efforts have led to a more than tenfold increase in federal treatment and prevention funding for New Hampshire. 

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