On July 21st, the House Energy and Commerce Committee marked up a series of bipartisan bills aimed at combating the overdose crisis, preventing the spread of adulterated substances in the drug supply, and expanding overdose prevention efforts. The Committee approved nine bills, which will now advance to the House floor for consideration. The bills include efforts to permanently schedule xylazine, a non-opioid veterinary sedative that is not approved for human use and is incre

On June 10th, the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) published a Request for Information (RFI), seeking public comment on effective research, programs, policies, and new ideas to improve prevention, treatment, and recovery services for substance use and mental health disorders. The RFI supports the Great American Recovery Initiative and seeks recommendations that can be implemented using existing funding. Comments are due by July 5, 2026. The RFI poses five questio

On June 9th, the House Appropriations Committee marked up the Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS) bill. The House Appropriations Committee voted 34 to 28 in favor of the bill, advancing it to the House floor. The bill provides funding for key agencies and programs inside the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) that address and research substance use and mental health disorder programs, including the National Institutes of He

The Addiction Policy Forum and 146 national, state, and local organizations from across the country sent a letter urging Congress to continue funding for substance use disorder programs in the FY2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. The national sign-on letter calls on Congress to maintain funding for key federal agencies and programs that address substance use disorder (SUD) and mental health disorders across

The Addiction Policy Forum invites national, state, and local organizations to sign on to a letter expressing support for continued funding for substance use disorder (SUD) programs in the FY2027 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor-HHS) appropriations bill. The national sign-on letter calls on Congress to maintain funding for key federal agencies and programs that address addiction across the continuum of care. Ongoing support is essential

On March 26, 2026, the House Energy and Commerce Committee held a hearing titled “Policies to Protect Our Communities from Illicit Drug Threats.” The hearing discussed 14 bills that aim to reduce overdoses and improve substance use prevention, treatment, and recovery services and addiction research. In the hearing, members of Congress agreed on a bipartisan basis that addiction should be treated as a disease using community-based care. House members highlighted that communit

Addiction Policy Forum joined 330 national, state, and local organizations in support of continued funding of the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The sign-on letter urges Congress to continue funding for Second Chance Act recidivism reduction and reentry programs. Second Chance Act programs provide individuals reentering the community with services, including housing, job training, education, sub

The Addiction Policy Forum joined a national letter of support for continued funding of the Second Chance Act in the Fiscal Year 2027 Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Appropriations bill. The national sign-on letter calls on Congress to maintain funding for these proven reentry initiatives, which help individuals successfully reintegrate by increasing access to housing, employment, behavioral health care, and other essential services. Ongoing support will ens

On January 20, 2026, the Senate released a “minibus” legislation appropriation package that included four spending bills, including the fiscal year (FY) 2026 Labor, Health and Human Services, Education, and Related Agencies (Labor HHS). The Labor HHS bill provides key funding for substance use and mental health agencies and programs across the country. The Senate proposal reflects continued bipartisan support for community-based prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts, w