Supporting the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to half-staff on all Federal buildings the 31st day of August each year.

Bill: 117-hres-349
Sponsor: full_name: Rep. Trahan, Lori [D-MA-3]
Introduced: 2021-04-22
Policy area: Health
Subjects: Commemorative events and holidays

Drug, alcohol, tobacco use

Government buildings, facilities, and property

Health promotion and preventive care

National symbols
Latest action: action_date: 2021-04-22
text: Referred to the House Committee on Oversight and Reform.

Summaries:
action_date: 2021-04-22
action_desc: Introduced in House
text: <p>This resolution supports the recognition of Overdose Awareness Day, including by lowering U.S. flags at federal buildings to half-staff.</p>

tv_txt: IV 117th CONGRESS 1st Session H. RES. 349 IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES April 22, 2021 Mrs. Trahan (for herself, Ms. Blunt Rochester , Mr. Fitzpatrick , Mr. Soto , Mr. Suozzi , Mr. Cleaver , Mr. Trone , Mr. Lynch , Ms. Dean , Ms. Jacobs of California , Ms. Spanberger , Ms. Kuster , Ms. Scanlon , Mr. Pappas , Mr. McKinley , Ms. Tenney , Mr. Curtis , Mr. Rutherford , Ms. Stevens , Mr. Yarmuth , Mr. Cicilline , Mr. Grijalva , Mr. Auchincloss , Mr. Amodei , Mr. Carbajal , and Ms. Clark of Massachusetts ) submitted the following resolution; which was referred to the Committee on Oversight and Reform RESOLUTION Supporting the goals of Overdose Awareness Day by lowering the United States flag to half-staff on all Federal buildings the 31st day of August each year.

Whereas more than 750,000 individuals in the United States have died from a drug overdose since 1999; Whereas substance use disorder and drug overdose affect all socioeconomic groups, racial and ethnic groups, geographical regions, and ages; Whereas substance use disorder is a chronic disease and recognizing it as such decreases stigma and acknowledges that substance use may be beyond an individual’s control; Whereas overdose deaths are preventable, and lives can be saved through awareness, prevention, intervention, treatment, and recovery support; Whereas overdose deaths claimed more than 81,000 American lives last year, and the COVID–19 pandemic has contributed to the acceleration of overdose deaths; Whereas communities across the Nation have been pained by substance use disorder through the premature loss of lives and the stigma associated with drug-related fatalities; and Whereas numerous States across the Nation have lowered their State flags in recognition of Overdose Awareness Day: Now, therefore, be it

That the House of Representatives supports the recognition of Overdose Awareness Day in the United States of America and that Federal buildings therein be encouraged to lower their flags to half-staff to support awareness of overdoses.