Bipartisan, Bicameral Second Chance Reauthorization Act Introduced in Congress

Yesterday, a group of lawmakers introduced the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 to continue critical reentry services for individuals returning to communities after incarceration. This bipartisan bill was introduced by Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-WV) and Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Representatives Carol Miller (R-WV) and Danny K. Davis (D-IL). 

The bill reauthorizes essential grant programs focused on reentry efforts, including housing, career training and job placement, and substance use disorder and mental health treatment. With over 600,000 individuals returning to their communities each year, the Second Chance Act ensures that people receive needed programming and services to successfully reintegrate into their community. 

The Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025 enhances addiction treatment services for individuals with substance use disorders, including peer recovery services, case management, and overdose prevention. Expanding substance use disorder services for people returning to their communities is both a needed service and can be life-saving. More than two-thirds of people in correctional settings have a substance use disorder, and people released from prison are 129 times more likely to overdose within the first two weeks of release.

From 2009 to 2024, the U.S. Department of Justice awarded over 1,300 Second Chance Act grants to 871 state, local, territories, and tribal governments, as well as reentry-focused organizations across 49 states, territories, and the District of Columbia. 

Addiction Policy Forum thanks each of the bill sponsors for their leadership and commitment to ensuring that communities across the country have access to reentry services, including substance use disorder treatment services. Second Chance Act programs have been a proven, time-tested mechanism to improve reentry outcomes and make families and communities safer and healthier. 

Sign On to National Support Letter for Second Chance Reauthorization Act

We invite your organization to sign on to a national letter of support for the Second Chance Reauthorization Act.

A copy of the letter can be found here.

To sign your organization on to the letter, please click here.

Thank Second Chance Champions on the Hill

Show your support of the Second Chance Reauthorization Act by sharing your thanks with the bill sponsors on social media:

“Thank you to [INSERT HANDLE] for sponsoring the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025, which will provide critical reentry services to communities across the country and help cultivate safer and healthier communities. SCA programs have led to a 23% drop in recidivism across the U.S.”

“Thank you to [INSERT HANDLE] for sponsoring the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025, which reauthorizes critical reentry programs and enhances services around addiction treatment and transitional & supportive housing.”

“Thank you to [INSERT HANDLE] for sponsoring the Second Chance Reauthorization Act of 2025, which ensures vital reentry programs for communities across the country and addresses the continued opioid crisis by bolstering addiction treatment services and transitional & supportive housing.”

Twitter Handles:

• @SenCapito

• @SenBooker

• @JohnCornyn

• @SenatorDurbin

• @SenThomTillis

• @SenWhitehouse

• @SenKevinCramer

• @SenAmyKlobuchar

• @JimJustice_WV

• @Sen_Alsobrooks

• @RepCarolMiller

• @RepDannyDavis

• @RepBarryMoore

• @RepHankJohnson

• @RepDonBacon

• @RepLucyMcBath

• @RepLaHood

• @NydiaVelazquez

• @RepWesterman

• @BobbyScott

• @RepLaurelLee

• @RepShontelBrown

• @RepSmucker

• @RepAndreCarson

• @RepMikeTurner

• @RepJayapal