I 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION H. R. 706 

To authorize grants to address substance use during COVID–19. 

IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES 

FEBRUARY 2, 2021 

Ms. KUSTER (for herself and Mr. KATKO) introduced the following bill; which 

was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce 

A BILL 

To authorize grants to address substance use during 

COVID–19. 

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 ‘‘Emergency Support 

5 for Substance Use Disorders Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. FINDINGS. 

7 Congress finds the following: 

8 (1) In 2018, an estimated 164,800,000 people 

9 aged 12 or older in the United States, or 60.2 per10 cent of such population, were substance users (inVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H706.IH H706

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1 cluding, tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs) in the last 

2 month. 

3 (2) In 2018, nearly 1 in 5 people aged 12 or 

4 older in the United States, or 19.4 percent of such 

5 population, used an illicit drug in the past year, 

6 which is a higher percentage than in 2015 and 

7 2016. 

8 (3) In 2018, an estimated 10,300,000 people 

9 aged 12 or older in the United States misused 

10 opioids in the past year, including 9,900,000 pre11 scription pain reliever misusers and 808,000 heroin 

12 users. 

13 (4) In 2017, overdose deaths involving opioids 

14 in the United States, including fentanyl, was 6 times 

15 higher than in 1999. 

16 (5) The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose 

17 deaths involving synthetic opioids in the United 

18 States other than methadone increased by 10 per19 cent from 2017 to 2018. 

20 (6) In 2018, approximately 20,300,000 people 

21 aged 12 or older in the United States had a sub22 stance use disorder related to their use of alcohol or 

23 illicit drugs in the past year. 


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1 (7) In 2018, an estimated 21,200,000 people 

2 aged 12 or older in the United States needed sub3 stance use treatment. 

4 (8) According to the Substance Abuse and Men5 tal Health Services Administration, COVID–19 will 

6 certainly contribute to growth in the numbers re7 ferred to in the preceding paragraphs. Individuals 

8 across the United States will struggle with increases 

9 in depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief. There is 

10 also anticipated increase in substance misuse in the 

11 United States as lives are impacted for individuals 

12 and families. 

13 SEC. 3. GRANT PROGRAM ON HARMS OF DRUG MISUSE. 

14 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary for Men15 tal Health and Substance Use (referred to in this section 

16 as the ‘‘Assistant Secretary’’), in consultation with the Di17 rector of the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, 

18 shall award grants to States, political subdivisions of 

19 States, Tribes, Tribal organizations, and community-based 

20 entities to support the delivery of overdose prevention, sy21 ringe services programs, and other harm reduction serv22 ices that address the harms of drug misuse during the 

23 COVID–19 pandemic, including by— 

24 (1) preventing and controlling the spread of in25 fectious diseases, such as HIV/AIDS and viral hepaVerDate Sep 11 2014 18:09 Feb 23, 2021 Jkt 019200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H706.IH H706

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1 titis, and the consequences of such diseases for indi2 viduals with substance use disorder; 

3 (2) distributing opioid antagonists, such as 

4 naloxone, to individuals at risk of overdose; 

5 (3) connecting individuals at risk for, or with, 

6 a substance use disorder to overdose education, 

7 counseling, and health education; and 

8 (4) encouraging such individuals to take steps 

9 to reduce the negative personal and public health 

10 impacts of substance use or misuse during the emer11 gency period. 

12 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In awarding grants under 

13 this section, the Assistant Secretary shall prioritize grants 

14 to applicants that are— 

15 (1) culturally specific organizations, Tribal be16 havioral health and substance use disorder providers, 

17 or organizations that are intentional about serving 

18 populations where COVID–19 has had the most im19 pact; or 

20 (2) proposing to serve areas with— 

21 (A) a higher proportion of the population 

22 who meet criteria for dependence on, or abuse 

23 of, illicit drugs; 

24 (B) a higher drug overdose death rate; 


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1 (C) a greater telemedicine infrastructure 

2 need; and 

3 (D) a greater behavioral health and sub4 stance use disorder workforce need. 

5 (c) USE OF GRANT AWARDS.—A recipient of a grant 

6 under this section may use such grant funds for the fol7 lowing purposes: 

8 (1) Adapt, maintain, and expand essential serv9 ices provided by harm reduction service organiza10 tions to address the risks of COVID–19, drug over11 dose, and contraction of infectious disease. 

12 (2) Maintain or hire staff. 

13 (3) Support program operational costs, includ14 ing staff, rent, and vehicle purchase or maintenance. 

15 (4) Program supplies. 

16 (5) Hygiene and personal protective equipment 

17 for both staff and program participants. 

18 (6) Support and case management services. 

19 (d) DEFINITION.—In this section, the term ‘‘emer20 gency period’’ has the meaning given to such term in sec21 tion 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 

22 1320b–5(g)(1)(B)). 

23 (e) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 

24 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 


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1 $50,000,000 for fiscal year 2021, to remain available until 

2 expended. 

Æ 


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