Comprehensive Addiction Fact Sheet and Recovery Act of 2015

Investing in Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Supports for Addiction Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2015 (S. 524, H.R. 953)

In February 2015, Senators Rob Portman (R-OH) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI), along with Representatives Jim Sensenbrenner (R-WI) and Tim Ryan (D-OH) reintroduced the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524, H.R. 953).

This legislation would adjust existing authorizations and programs to provide desperately needed funds to support community-based addiction treatment. Additionally, the bill expands prevention and educational efforts—particularly aimed at teens, aging populations and parents and other caretakers—to prevent the abuse of heroin and other opioids and to promote treatment and recovery.

The National Council for Behavioral Health strongly supports the passage of this legislation.

Why do we need the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act?

We must do more to curb the opioid and heroin epidemic. Fatal drug overdoses are a leading cause of accidental death. Approximately 38,000 people die each year from drug overdose, or more than 100 per day. Opioid and heroin addiction are destroying lives, disrupting families and destabilizing communities.

The bill utilizes evidence-based treatment methods to treat addictions. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act builds on proven methods developed at the community level to enable law enforcement to respond to the heroin epidemic and supports long-term recovery by connecting prevention and education efforts with treatment programs, including medication- assisted treatment.

One remedy will not curb the public health crisis: a comprehensive approach is needed. The legislation expands prevention and education efforts to prevent the abuse of opioids and heroin and to promote treatment and recovery; it expands the availability of naloxone to prevent overdoses; and supports evidence-based opioid and heroin treatment and interventions.

The bill provides funding to the broad array of entities fighting addiction - Non-profit organizations, states, law enforcement agencies and others would receive grants for prevention, treatment and recovery activities -- including public education campaigns, programs offering treatment alternatives to incarceration, prescription drug monitoring programs, evidence-based treatment and intervention for substance use disorders, a national initiative for youth recovery and support services -- along with grants to support state-level initiatives for comprehensive opioid abuse response and programming to expand state addiction and treatment services for women, families and veterans.

Request Please cosponsor the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524, H.R. 953).

email: [email protected] | phone: 202.684.7457 Comprehensive Addiction Fact Sheet and Recovery Act of 2015

Cosponsor List as of 2/9/16

Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act Steve J. D - NY (H.R. 953) D - NY D - AZ Gregory W. Meeks D - NY Mark DeSaulnier D - CA Hakeem S. Jeffries D - NY D - CA Daniel M. Donovan R - NY D - CA Eliot L. Engel D - NY D - CA Sean Maloney D - NY Joe Courtney D - CT D - NY James A. Himes D - CT Richard L. Hanna R - NY Eleanor Norton D - DC Louise Slaughter D - NY Dennis A. Ross R - FL Steve J. Chabot R - OH Alcee L. Hastings D - FL D - OH D - FL D - OH D - FL Michael R. Turner R - OH John R. Lewis D - GA Tim J. Ryan D - OH David Scott D - GA David P. Joyce R - OH Tammy Duckworth D - IL Steve Stivers R - OH Bob Dold R - IL D - OR John A. Yarmuth D - KY Robert Brady D - PA Cedric L. Richmond D - LA Ryan Costello R - PA Richard E. Neal D - MA Patrick Meehan R - PA Niki S. Tsongas D - MA Michael G. Fitzpatrick R - PA Joseph P. Kennedy D - MA Tom Marino R - PA Katherine M. Clark D - MA D - PA William R. Keating D - MA Charles W. Dent R - PA John P. Sarbanes D - MD Matthew A. Cartwright D - PA Chris Van Hollen D - MD David N. Cicilline D - RI Sander M. Levin D - MI James R. Langevin D - RI Keith Ellison D - MN Beto O'Rourke D - TX R - MN Lamar S. Smith R - TX Collin Peterson D - MN Robert C. Scott D - VA Richard M. Nolan D - MN Barbara Comstock R - VA Frank Guinta R - NH D - VT Ann M. Kuster D - NH Suzan K. DelBene D - WA Donald W. Norcross D - NJ D - WA Leonard Lance R - NJ D - WI Bill J. Pascrell D - NJ Joseph J. Heck R - NV R - NY Peter T. King R - NY

email: [email protected] | phone: 202.684.7457 Comprehensive Addiction Fact Sheet and Recovery Act of 2015

Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524) Dan Sullivan R - AK Dianne Feinstein D - CA Richard Blumenthal D - CT Chris Coons D - DE Bill Nelson D - FL Marco Rubio R - FL Mark Kirk R - IL Joe Donnelly D - IN Elizabeth Warren D - MA Susan M. Collins R - ME Angus King I - ME Alan Franken D - MN Amy Klobuchar D - MN Jon Tester D - MT Kelly Ayotte R - NH Jeanne Shaheen D - NH Robert Menéndez D - NJ Martin Heinrich D - NM Kirsten E. Gillibrand D - NY Charles E. Schumer D - NY Robert J. Portman R - OH Lindsey O. Graham R - SC Orrin G. Hatch R - UT Patrick J. Leahy D - VT Tammy Baldwin D - WI Shelley Capito R - WV Joe Manchin D - WV

email: [email protected] | phone: 202.684.7457