Title: Opioid Response Enhancement Act
Policy area: Health

Summary:
Opioid Response Enhancement Act
This bill amends the 21st Century Cures Act to reauthorize through FY2023 a program of grants to states and tribal entities to carry out activities addressing the opioid epidemic. It allows states and tribal entities to use the grants to carry out public health-related activities addressing other substance abuse that is a substantial or similar public health threat to the opioid epidemic.

[Congressional Bills 115th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[S. 2437 Introduced in Senate (IS)]

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115th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                S. 2437

To reauthorize and improve the 21st Century Cures opioid grant program.


_______________________________________________________________________


                   IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES

                           February 15, 2018

 Ms. Baldwin (for herself, Mrs. Shaheen, Ms. Smith, Ms. Heitkamp, Mr. 
    Brown, Ms. Hassan, Mr. Manchin, Ms. Warren, Ms. Klobuchar, Ms. 
Stabenow, Mr. Nelson, Mr. King, Mr. Cardin, Mr. Tester, Mr. Kaine, and 
  Mr. Udall) introduced the following bill; which was read twice and 
  referred to the Committee on Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions

_______________________________________________________________________

                                 A BILL


 
To reauthorize and improve the 21st Century Cures opioid grant program.

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

SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE.

    This Act may be cited as the ``Opioid Response Enhancement Act''.

SEC. 2. OPIOID GRANT PROGRAM REAUTHORIZATION.

    (a) In General.--Section 1003 of the 21st Century Cures Act (42 
U.S.C. 290ee-3 note) is amended--
            (1) in subsection (b)--
                    (A) in paragraph (2)(A), by adding at the end the 
                following:
                            ``(iii) For each of fiscal years 2019 
                        through 2023, $2,000,000,000.''; and
                    (B) in paragraph (3)--
                            (i) in subparagraph (A)--
                                    (I) by striking ``2017 and 2018'' 
                                and inserting ``2019 through 2023''; 
                                and
                                    (II) by inserting after ``paragraph 
                                (2)(A),'' the following: ``and in each 
                                of the fiscal years 2019 through 2023, 
                                there is authorized to be appropriated 
                                from the Account to the Secretary, for 
                                the grant program described in 
                                subsection (c)(3), $400,000,000,''; and
                            (ii) in subparagraph (B), by striking 
                        ``2017 and 2018'' and inserting ``2019 through 
                        2023'';
            (2) in subsection (c)--
                    (A) in paragraph (1)--
                            (i) by inserting ``and Tribal entities'' 
                        after ``grants to States'';
                            (ii) by inserting ``and Tribal entities'' 
                        after ``preference to States''; and
                            (iii) by inserting ``or Tribal entities'' 
                        before the period at the end;
                    (B) in paragraph (2)--
                            (i) in the matter preceding subparagraph 
                        (A)--
                                    (I) by inserting ``, including 
                                activities supported by community-based 
                                organizations and counties,'' after 
                                ``carrying out activities''; and
                                    (II) by striking ``to a State'';
                            (ii) in subparagraph (E), by inserting ``or 
                        Tribal entity'' after ``State'' each place that 
                        such term appears; and
                            (iii) by adding at the end the following:
                    ``(F) In addition to carrying out activities 
                related to addressing the opioid epidemic, a State or 
                Tribal entity may use grants awarded under this section 
                for carrying out public-health activities related to 
                addressing other substance abuse, as determined 
                appropriate and as determined to be a substantial or 
                similar public health threat as the opioid epidemic by 
                the State or Tribal entity.''; and
                    (C) by adding at the end the following:
            ``(3) Targeted response enhancement grants.--
                    ``(A) In general.--Subject to the availability of 
                appropriations, the Secretary shall use 50 percent of 
                the amount transferred under subsection (b)(2)(A)(iii) 
                in each fiscal year to award supplemental funding 
                grants to at least 10 States and Tribal entities, to 
                expand and enhance grant activities required under this 
                subsection. In awarding such grants, the Secretary 
                shall give preference to areas of greatest need, 
                including as indicated by higher mortality rates 
                associated with opioid overdoses.
                    ``(B) Use of funds.--Grants awarded to a State or 
                Tribal entity under this paragraph shall be used for 
                carrying out activities to supplement activities 
                otherwise carried out under this subsection to expand 
                and enhance prevention, treatment, and recovery support 
                efforts in States and Tribal entities hardest hit by 
                the opioid epidemic, which may include public health-
                related activities such as the following:
                            ``(i) Expansion of evidence-based 
                        strategies for the provision of prevention, 
                        treatment, and recovery support services for 
                        individuals with opioid use disorders.
                            ``(ii) Expansion and enhancement of 
                        integrated systems of care, including the co-
                        location of services to address the primary and 
                        behavioral healthcare needs of individuals with 
                        opioid use disorders.
                            ``(iii) Expansion of efforts to distribute 
                        overdose reversal drugs and educate first 
                        responders and other relevant community members 
                        on the use of such drugs to prevent overdose-
                        related deaths.
                            ``(iv) Expansion of any activity authorized 
                        under the State or Tribal entity grant under 
                        paragraph (1) to address the State's or Tribal 
                        entity's specific needs related to combatting 
                        the opioid crisis.
            ``(4) Set aside.--Of the amount made available for each 
        fiscal year to award grants under paragraph (1), not less than 
        10 percent of such amount in each such fiscal year shall be 
        provided to Tribal entities.'';
            (3) by redesignating subsections (d) through (f) as 
        subsections (e) through (g), respectively;
            (4) by inserting after subsection (c), the following:
    ``(d) Technical Assistance.--The Secretary shall provide State 
agencies and Tribal entities, as applicable through the Tribal Training 
and Technical Assistance Center, with technical assistance concerning--
            ``(1) application and submission procedures and award 
        management activities;
            ``(2) enhancing outreach and direct support to rural and 
        underserved communities and providers in addressing the opioid 
        crisis; and
            ``(3) strengthening data collection data sharing activities 
        to help improve surveillance.'';
            (5) in subsection (e) (as so redesignated), by inserting 
        ``shall prioritize providing such funds directly to local 
        communities and counties to address the opioid crisis in areas 
        of unmet need and'' after ``subsection (c)''; and
            (6) by adding at the end the following:
    ``(h) Tribal Entity.--In this section, the term `Tribal entity' 
means an Indian tribe (as defined in section 4 of the Indian Self-
Determination and Education Assistance Act (25 U.S.C. 5304)), a tribal 
organization (as defined in such section), or a consortium of such a 
tribe and organization.''.
    (b) Additional Amounts for Fiscal Year 2018.--In addition to 
amounts otherwise made available for grants under section 1003(c) of 
the 21st Century Cures Act (42 U.S.C. 290ee-3 note) for fiscal year 
2018, there are appropriated $1,500,000,000 for such grants in such 
fiscal year, of which, $500,000,000 shall be used for grants under 
section 1003(c)(3) of such Act.
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