Title: To authorize grants to address substance use during COVID-19.
Policy area: Health

Summary:
This bill requires the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to award grants to eligible jurisdictions and community-based organizations to address the harms of substance misuse, including by encouraging actions to reduce health impacts of substance use during national disasters and emergencies. SAMHSA shall prioritize grants by accounting for such factors as drug overdose death rates.

[Congressional Bills 116th Congress]
[From the U.S. Government Publishing Office]
[H.R. 6620 Introduced in House (IH)]

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116th CONGRESS
  2d Session
                                H. R. 6620

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


_______________________________________________________________________


                    IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

                             April 24, 2020

Ms. Kuster of New Hampshire (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.

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

SECTION 1. FINDINGS.

    Congress finds the following:
            (1) In 2018, an estimated 164,800,000 people aged 12 or 
        older in the United States, or 60.2 percent, were past month 
        substance users (including, tobacco, alcohol, or illicit 
        drugs).
            (2) In 2018, nearly 1 in 5 people aged 12 or older in the 
        United States, or 19.4 percent, used an illicit drug in the 
        past year, which is a higher percentage than in 2015 and 2016.
            (3) In 2018, an estimated 10,300,000 people aged 12 or 
        older in the United States misused opioids in the past year, 
        including 9,900,000 prescription pain reliever misusers and 
        808,000 heroin users.
            (4) In 2017, overdose deaths involving opioids in the 
        United States, including fentanyl, was 6 times higher than in 
        1999.
            (5) The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose deaths involving 
        synthetic opioids in the United States other than methadone 
        increased by 10 percent from 2017 to 2018.
            (6) In 2018, approximately 20,300,000 people aged 12 or 
        older in the United States had a substance use disorder related 
        to their use of alcohol or illicit drugs in the past year.
            (7) In 2018, an estimated 21,200,000 people aged 12 or 
        older in the United States needed substance use treatment.
            (8) According to the Substance Abuse and Mental Health 
        Services Administration, COVID-19 will certainly contribute to 
        growth in the numbers referred to in the preceding paragraphs. 
        Individuals across the United States will struggle with 
        increases in depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief. There is 
        also anticipated increase in substance misuse in the United 
        States as lives are impacted for individuals and families.

SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM ON HARMS OF DRUG MISUSE.

    (a) In General.--The Assistant Secretary shall award grants to 
States, territories, counties, Tribes, Tribal organizations, and 
community-based entities to address the harms of drug misuse, such as 
by--
            (1) addressing the spread of HIV/AIDS and hepatitis C;
            (2) connecting individuals with a substance use disorder to 
        overdose education, counseling, and health education; or
            (3) encouraging such individuals to take steps to reduce 
        the negative personal and public health impacts of substance 
        use during any emergency period, as defined in subparagraph (B) 
        of section 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 
        1320b-5(g)(1)).
    (b) Considerations.--In prioritizing grant awards under this 
section, the Secretary shall take into account--
            (1) the proportion of people in the area served by the 
        applicant who meet criteria for dependence on or abuse of 
        illicit drugs who have not received any treatment;
            (2) drug overdose death rates;
            (3) telemedicine infrastructure needs;
            (4) workforce needs;
            (5) prevention and recovery supports; and
            (6) efforts to reduce stigma.
    (c) Authorization of Appropriations.--To carry out this section, 
there is authorized to be appropriated $5,000,000 for the period 
beginning on the date of enactment of this Act and ending on the later 
of--
            (1) November 30, 2020; and
            (2) the end of the emergency period (as defined in section 
        1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 1320b-
        5(g)(1)(B))).
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