The House of Representatives approved a comprehensive opioid bill on Thursday that includes provisions led by U.S. Reps. Mike Bishop (R-MI), Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI), Mike Turner (R-OH) and Dan Donovan (R-NY).
The Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act (COARA), introduced by Sensenbrenner, would take steps to improve opioid education, treatment and enforcement.
“(Thursday’s) passage of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act is another important step forward in our fight against heroin and opioid addiction,” Sensenbrenner said. “It signals the seriousness of our national struggle with addiction, the need for immediate action, and the commitment of lawmakers to pass meaningful, bipartisan legislation. I’m optimistic about the future of this bill and the great good it will affect throughout the country.”
Under the bill, a comprehensive opioid abuse reduction program would be created under the Department of Justice. The program would provide training and funding for first responders, law enforcers and criminal prosecution and expanding drug courts using existing funding.
Bishop introduced an amendment to the bill that would strengthen efforts to keep prescriptions drugs away from children by utilizing technology that provides secure containers and prevents individuals from gaining access to them.
“I’ve spoken with families and local law enforcement about the growing opioid epidemic in our community, and one of the major issues is making sure these dangerous drugs do not get into the hands of our children,” Bishop said. “I’m a father of three, and it worries me that nearly 800,000 kids between the ages of 12 and 17 tried opioids for the first time within the past year. My amendment allows state and local governments to invest in programs that utilize secure containers for prescription drugs – leaving it up to each state to decide what works best for them. Drug and opioid use has had a devastating impact on our families, but legislation like this will help address the problem at one of its roots: the home.”
Turner, meanwhile, introduced an amendment that would make treatment more accessible to pregnant women struggling with addiction.
“I am proud to continue to fight for a better life for both babies and mothers who have been exposed to heroin and opioids,” Turner said. “This is a significant step forward in our effort to develop and implement a strategy that provides targeted intervention and takes significant steps to identify and treat this at-risk population. Now is the time for decisive, thoughtful action that seeks to provide the best possible start in life for our community’s children, and passage of this amendment is step towards achieving that goal.”
Donovan introduced an amendment that would direct grants to treatment providers that help pregnant women overcome addiction.
“Any solution requires a three-pronged approach – education, treatment and enforcement,” Donovan said. “Today’s youth have to be educated about the dangers of addiction; local treatment experts who have been in the trenches for years need resources to expand capacity, because nobody who is ready for treatment should be denied a bed; and law enforcement needs tools to choke off the supply. The package passed today hits all three.”