As Congress’s Bipartisan Bill to Respond to Opioid Crisis Becomes Law, Senator Murray Reminds Colleagues “Crisis is Far From Over”

Bipartisan opioid response bill crafted by Senator Murray signed into law

Provisions championed by Senator Murray help address root causes and ripple effects of opioid epidemic

Murray emphasizes need to continue building on momentum with additional steps

Murray: “We need to build on our work in this important legislation, which is why Democrats are going to keep fighting for more action and greater investments to provide our communities with the resources they need to address the root causes and ripple effects of this heartbreaking epidemic.”

Washington, D.C. – Today, U.S. Senator Patty Murray (D-WA), Ranking Member of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee released the following statement in response to the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment (SUPPORT) for Patients and Communities Act being signed into law. Senator Murray worked for many months with her colleagues on both sides of the aisle in the House and Senate to develop the bipartisan bill which includes a package of solutions to help address the root causes and ripple effects of the opioid crisis.

“I’m glad Congress was able to come together around so many bipartisan proposals to address the opioid crisis and help families and communities back in Washington state and across the country—but we must remember this crisis is far from over. We need to build on our work in this important legislation, which is why Democrats are going to keep fighting for more action and greater investments to provide our communities with the resources they need to address the root causes and ripple effects of this heartbreaking epidemic.”

The legislation includes several priorities championed by Senator Murray to help families and communities impacted by opioid addiction, including provisions to:

• Strengthen federal investments for training to help out-of-work individuals
• Increase support for state efforts to help pregnant women and infants impacted by opioid misuse
• Expand access to treatment in underserved areas and support trauma-informed care
• Clarify the Food and Drug Administration’s authority over opioid packaging and disposal
• Provide more support and flexibility to states to help tribal communities and others address the most pressing problems associated with substance use disorders.

###