Washington, D.C. –Congresswoman Elise Stefanik (R-NY-21) and her colleagues in the House will be advancing dozens of bills over the coming weeks to address the heroin and opioid crisis. Congresswoman Stefanik is a Member of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force. In her first term in office, Congresswoman Stefanik worked to pass the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, the 21st Century Cures Act, and supported almost $4 billion in omnibus funding to aid this effort.
“I am committed to finding solutions to this ongoing fight that is wreaking havoc in communities across our district,” said Congresswoman Stefanik. “The opioid epidemic touches our communities, our homes and our families in ways that have grave effects on everyday people and everyday lives.
“The legislation we will be passing in the House will provide resources to prevent addiction, encourage treatment and recovery, as well as initiatives that will keep our communities safe. I look forward to working across the aisle with my colleagues on these critical bills.”
Among the bills being considered this week are:
- Jessie's Law (H.R. 5009) would help ensure doctors have access to a consenting patient's prior history of addiction in order to make fully informed decisions for care and treatment.
- Better Pain Management Through Better Data Act (H.R. 5473) would help doctors and medical professionals reduce the use of opioids through better clinical data on non-opioid alternatives so there are more prescribing options instead of opioids.
- Medicare Opioid Safety Education Act (H.R. 5685) will direct the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to provide education resources for beneficiaries regarding opioid use, pain management, and alternative pain management treatments, and include these resources in the “Medicare and You” Handbook.
For a comprehensive list of opioid related bills being considered in the House this week, click here.
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