Shaheen, Grassley, Butler Introduce Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Youth Opioid Use and Overdoses
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Chair of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Co-Chair of the U.S. Senate Caucus on International Narcotics Control, and Laphonza Butler (D-CA) are introducing the bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to strengthen efforts to address the substance misuse disorder crisis that is impacting communities across the nation. The bipartisan bill would help prevent youth opioid use and overdoses by establishing a new grant program that allows Drug-Free Communities (DFC) coalitions to partner with schools to provide resources educating students about the dangers of synthetic opioids. U.S. Representatives Linda Sánchez (D-CA) and Lori Chavez DeRemer (R-OR) introduced a companion bill in the U.S. House of Representatives.
“In New Hampshire, we’ve lost too many Granite Staters—and far too many young people—to opioids. We can and must do more to bring an end to this epidemic and save lives,” said Shaheen. “The bipartisan Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act will help communities across New Hampshire and the nation stem opioid misuse in schools by educating kids about the dangers of opioid use and working to help prevent overdoses.”
“Halting drug abuse in our communities, and especially in our schools, demands an all-hands approach. One piece of the puzzle is standing up drug prevention programs to educate young people about the effects of synthetic opioids and the resources available,” said Grassley. “I’m glad to join my colleagues in advancing this important, fiscally responsible bill to protect our next generation from a crisis that’s hurting far too many Americans.”
“In recent years, far too many young Americans have lost their lives to opioid addiction and overdose. Just in my home state of California, fentanyl is responsible for 1 in every 5 deaths of young people between the age of 15 and 24,” said Butler. “I am proud to cosponsor the Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act to fund the community-based coalitions working within schools to prevent substance abuse, to decrease deadly overdoses, and to save lives.”
The Keeping Drugs Out of Schools Act would authorize $7 million per year for five years for a new grant program eligible to DFC grantees and other qualifying DFCs. The bipartisan bill allows DFC grantees to apply for additional funding to partner with schools to plan, implement and evaluate comprehensive school-based substance use prevention programing.
Shaheen has spearheaded crucial legislation and funding to stem the opioid epidemic, including through her leadership on the pivotal U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science and Related Agencies, which funds the U.S. Department of Justice. Shaheen has also worked to increase access to substance use treatment in New Hampshire. Earlier this year, Shaheen led the state’s congressional delegation in fighting for $29,880,604 in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants directed to New Hampshire. Shaheen fought to secure this investment in the government funding legislation for Fiscal Year (FY) 2024 that was signed into law. Additionally, the Shaheen-led State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act 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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