A key Senate committee has announced draft legislation that includes a broad array of measures aimed at tackling the opioid crisis, from bolstering government research into non-addictive painkillers to increasing access to mental health in schools.
Committee leaders also announced they will hold a hearing on the draft, titled the Opioid Crisis Response Act, on April 11, the same day that the House Energy and Commerce Committee is holding its final hearing on opioid legislation. The House aims to pass a bill ahead of Memorial Day, while the Senate hasn’t stated a deadline but has held six other hearings on the issue.
The draft released Wednesday, from the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, updates another version that was made public March 26.
The latest version incorporates additional bipartisan measures, according to a senior Republican aide. A formal introduction of legislation is expected to follow before the bill is marked up this spring and voted on in committee.
“By working together, listening to researchers, officials, experts, and families facing the crisis, and pulling in the ideas of senators from both sides of the aisle, we have been able to take an important step with this draft bill toward addressing the wide set of challenges caused by the opioid epidemic,” said Sen. Patty Murray, the top-ranking Democrat on the HELP committee.
The bill would give the Food and Drug Administration the authority to require manufacturers to package opioids in blister packs that would limit the dose patients can receive, and would encourage drugmakers to provide a safe way for patients to dispose of leftover drugs in an effort to prevent children from accessing them.
Another measure would give the FDA funding to identify illegal drugs coming across the border or through the mail. The funds would be used to upgrade technology, train more canine units, and expand labs. The bill makes provisions for the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to provide grants to local areas, and another part of the bill would assist states with caring for babies who were exposed to opioids while in the womb.
Congress and the Trump administration have been working on public health and law enforcement measures to address the opioid crisis, which caused more than 42,000 overdose deaths in 2016 from drugs such as prescription painkillers, heroin, and fentanyl.
“The opioid crisis is currently our most serious public health epidemic, and despite efforts in every state, it’s getting worse,” said Lamar Alexander, HELP committee chairman. “Our response needs to be urgent, bipartisan, and effective.”
