II 

115TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 2657 

To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant 

program to create peer support recovery networks, and for other purposes. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

APRIL 12, 2018 

Ms. COLLINS (for herself and Mrs. SHAHEEN) introduced the following bill; 

which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions 

A BILL 

To amend title V of the Public Health Service Act to establish a grant program to create peer support recovery 

networks, and for other purposes. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Opioid Peer Support 

5 Networks Act of 2018’’. 

6 SEC. 2. OPIOID PEER SUPPORT NETWORKS. 

7 Part D of title V of the Public Health Service Act 

8 (42 U.S.C. 290dd et seq.) is amended by adding at the 

9 end the following: 


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1 ‘‘SEC. 550. OPIOID PEER SUPPORT NETWORKS. 

2 ‘‘(a) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘peer 

3 support network’ means a group of two or more inde4 pendent nonprofit organizations— 

5 ‘‘(1) that mobilizes resources within and outside 

6 of the network to increase the prevalence and quality 

7 of long-term recovery from substance use disorders; 

8 and 

9 ‘‘(2) for which at least one organization is whol10 ly or principally governed by ‘peers’ (individuals in 

11 recovery for substance use disorders who reflect the 

12 community served). 

13 ‘‘(b) GRANTS AUTHORIZED.—The Secretary shall 

14 award grants for up to 3 years to eligible recovery commu15 nity organizations to enable such organizations to develop, 

16 expand, and enhance recovery services. 

17 ‘‘(c) APPLICATION.—To be eligible to receive a grant 

18 under this section an entity shall— 

19 ‘‘(1) be a recovery community organization; and 

20 ‘‘(2) submit to the Secretary an application at 

21 such time, in such manner, and containing such in22 formation as the Secretary may require. 

23 ‘‘(d) USE OF FUNDS.—Amounts awarded under 

24 grants under subsection (b)— 


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1 ‘‘(1) shall be used to develop, expand, and en2 hance non-clinical community and statewide recovery 

3 support services; and 

4 ‘‘(2) may be used to— 

5 ‘‘(A) build connections between peer sup6 port networks, between recovery community or7 ganizations, and with other recovery support 

8 services, including— 

9 ‘‘(i) behavioral health providers; 

10 ‘‘(ii) primary care providers and phy11 sicians; 

12 ‘‘(iii) educational and vocational 

13 schools; 

14 ‘‘(iv) employers; 

15 ‘‘(v) housing services; 

16 ‘‘(vi) child welfare agencies; 

17 ‘‘(vii) the criminal justice system; and 

18 ‘‘(viii) other recovery support services 

19 that facilitate recovery from substance use 

20 disorders; and 

21 ‘‘(B) conduct outreach on issues relating to 

22 substance use disorders and recovery, includ23 ing— 

24 ‘‘(i) identifying the signs of addiction; 


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1 ‘‘(ii) identifying the resources avail2 able to individuals struggling with addic3 tion and to families with a family member 

4 struggling with, or being treated for, ad5 diction, including programs that mentor 

6 and provide support services to children; 

7 ‘‘(iii) identifying the resources avail8 able to help support individuals in recov9 ery; 

10 ‘‘(iv) identifying related medical out11 comes of substance use disorders, the po12 tential of acquiring an infectious disease 

13 from intravenous drug use, and neonatal 

14 abstinence syndrome among infants ex15 posed to opioids during pregnancy; 

16 ‘‘(v) identifying resources available to 

17 reduce the stigma associated with sub18 stance use disorders; and 

19 ‘‘(vi) educating and reinforcing the 

20 best practices in the delivery of recovery 

21 support services. 

22 ‘‘(e) GEOGRAPHIC DISTRIBUTION.—In awarding 

23 grants under this section, the Secretary shall ensure that 

24 not less than 50 percent of funds are awarded to eligible 

25 entities that are not located in metropolitan statistical 


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1 areas (as defined by the Office of Management and Budg2 et). The Secretary shall take into account the unique 

3 needs of rural communities, including communities with 

4 a per capita overdose mortality rate that is above the na5 tional average and communities with a shortage of preven6 tion and treatment services. 

7 ‘‘(f) TECHNICAL ASSISTANCE CENTER.— 

8 ‘‘(1) ESTABLISHMENT.—The Secretary, jointly 

9 with the Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and 

10 Substance Abuse, through a grant shall establish a 

11 National Peer Run Training and Technical Assist12 ance Center for Addiction Recovery Support (re13 ferred to in this subsection as the ‘Center’). 

14 ‘‘(2) FUNCTIONS.—The Center established 

15 under paragraph (1) shall provide support to the 

16 peer support networks established under this section 

17 including— 

18 ‘‘(A) training; 

19 ‘‘(B) technical assistance; 

20 ‘‘(C) evaluations; 

21 ‘‘(D) research; 

22 ‘‘(E) translation services; 

23 ‘‘(F) capacity building products; and 


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1 ‘‘(G) assistance in navigating the grant ap2 plication and renewal process under subsection 

3 (b). 

4 ‘‘(3) BEST PRACTICES.—The Center established 

5 under paragraph (1) shall annually issue best prac6 tices for use by peer support networks. 

7 ‘‘(g) DATA REPORTING.—Grant recipients under 

8 subsection (b) shall annually submit data to the Secretary 

9 including— 

10 ‘‘(1) a description of the programs and activi11 ties funded under the grant; 

12 ‘‘(2) a description of the outcomes of individ13 uals who received services through the programs 

14 funded under the grant, including in housing, em15 ployment, health, and wellness; and 

16 ‘‘(3) other information requested by the Sec17 retary 

18 ‘‘(h) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—There 

19 is authorized to be appropriated to carry out this section 

20 $25,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2019 through 2022, 

21 of which $15,000,000 for each fiscal year shall be allo22 cated for the Peer Support Networks under subsection (b) 

23 and $10,000,000 for each fiscal year shall be allocated for 

24 the National Peer Run Training and Technical Assistance 


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1 Center for Addiction Recovery Support established under 

2 subsection (f). 

3 ‘‘(i) REPORTS TO CONGRESS.—Not later than 1 year 

4 after awarding the first grant under this section, and an5 nually thereafter, the Secretary shall submit to Congress 

6 a report describing the activities carried out under this 

7 section and containing an evaluation of such programs, 

8 including outstanding challenges and barriers to substance 

9 use recovery, and gaps in peer recovery support services.’’. 

Æ 


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