January 10, 2024
Addiction Policy Forum and 40 national, state, and local organizations from across the country signed and submitted a letter in support of the bipartisan SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act (S. 3393), which is under consideration in the Senate. The groups span all disciplines working on a comprehensive response to address the substance use disorder and overdose crisis facing our country, signifying national widespread support for funding, programs, and services for millions of Americans with addiction.
S. 3393 would reauthorize critical programs and grants from the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018 (PL 115-271) and expand vital supports and resources for individuals and families impacted by addiction, including the following provisions:
Programs to support the monitoring and education of infections commonly associated with illicit drug use;
Prescription drug monitoring programs;
Overdose prevention programs;
Support programs for families impacted by fetal alcohol spectrum disorder;
Residential treatment recovery services for pregnant and postpartum women with substance use disorder;
Professional training programs for the mental health workforce;
Trauma support and mental health services in schools;
A national peer-run training and technical assistance center for addiction recovery support;
Programs for first responders to reverse overdoses;
Substance use disorder prevention and recovery programs for youth;
Comprehensive centers that provide a full spectrum of treatment and recovery support services for individuals with opioid use disorder;
Greater opportunities for people in recovery to reenter the workforce;
A loan repayment program for the substance use disorder treatment workforce; and
Clarifying that state opioid response grant program funds can be used toward overdose prevention products, such as test strips, that detect the presence of substances.
Addiction Policy Forum and the other signed groups are thankful to Senators Bernie Sanders (I-VT) and Bill Cassidy (R-LA) for championing this bill, and urge Senate leaders to advance this critical bill so that communities across the country have the resources necessary to combat the substance use disorder and overdose epidemic.