Bipartisan Committee Leaders Announce Opioid Legislation Agreement
Once signed into law, this legislation sends help to our communities fighting on the front lines of the crisis and to the millions of families affected by opioid use disorders.
WASHINGTON, DC – Bipartisan leaders from committees of jurisdiction in both the House and Senate today announced an agreement on sweeping legislation to combat the opioid crisis. In June, the House passed H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act by a vote of 396-14. On September 17th, the Senate passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018 by a vote of 99-1. This bipartisan, bicameral agreement will allow final legislation to move swiftly through both chambers of Congress and to the president’s desk.
You can read the full text of the legislation HERE.
The bipartisan, bicameral committee leaders issued the following statement:
“After months of bipartisan work by 8 committees in the House and 5 committees in the Senate, today we are announcing a bipartisan agreement on sweeping legislation to combat the opioid crisis. Once signed into law, this legislation sends help to our communities fighting on the front lines of the crisis and to the millions of families affected by opioid use disorders. In H.R. 6, we take important steps to combat illicit and synthetic drugs coming across our borders, encourage the development of new non-addictive painkillers, improve prescription drug monitoring programs, remove outdated barriers that hamper access to care, address the effects of the crisis on children and families, establish comprehensive opioid recovery centers, and much more. While there is more work to be done, this bipartisan legislation takes an important step forward and will save lives.”
Below are the committee leaders who announced the agreement:
House Leaders:
Chairman Greg Walden (R-OR), House Committee on Energy and Commerce
Chairman Kevin Brady (R-TX), House Committee on Ways and Means
Chairman Bob Goodlatte (R-VA), House Committee on the Judiciary
Senate Leaders:
Chairman Lamar Alexander (R-TN), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Chairman Orrin Hatch (R-UT), Senate Committee on Finance
Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-IA), Senate Committee on the Judiciary
Ranking Member Patty Murray (D-WA), Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions
Ranking Member Ron Wyden (D-OR), Senate Committee on Finance
Ranking Member Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Senate Committee on the Judiciary
