The U.S. Senate last night passed a bipartisan bill to prevent opioid addiction, overdoses, and deaths in rural communities introduced earlier this year by Sens. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.).
The Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act, which was introduced in September, will help ensure that rural communities with a high level of opioid overdoses have the resources they need to respond to the crisis. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, more than 75,000 people died of opioid overdoses between April 2020 and April 2021.
“We’ve made some progress in fighting the opioid crisis, but with overdose deaths rising Congress needs to act. Our bill will help communities in Iowa and across the country to prevent and handle any surge in opioid overdoses. I look forward to working to making this bipartisan legislation law, and preventing more Americans from falling victim to addiction, including those individuals in the criminal justice system,” Sen. Grassley said.
“With today’s passage of my bipartisan bill to reduce opioid addiction, overdoses, and deaths, the Senate proved Democrats and Republicans can still work together to get things done. I thank my Republican colleague Senator Grassley of Iowa for working with me to pass this bill,” Sen. Ossoff said.
The Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act will fill gaps in prevention, treatment, and recovery services for individuals in rural areas with funding for local governments and organizations that serve rural communities heavily impacted by opioid addiction and abuse.
The legislation now heads to the House of Representatives.
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