Reps. Trone, Burchett Introduces New Bipartisan Bill to Combat Addiction Crisis in the U.S.
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Hannah Muldavin, Hannah.Muldavin@mail.house.gov
Reps. Trone, Burchett Introduces New Bipartisan Bill to Combat Addiction Crisis in the U.S.
WASHINGTON — Today, Congressman David Trone (D-MD) and Congressman Tim Burchett (R-TN) announced they will introduce the bipartisan Effective Drug Control Strategy Act to help improve the national response to the addiction epidemic.
The bill comes following reports of record numbers of overdose deaths across the country. Between June 2019 and May 2020, there were a record 81,000 overdose deaths nationwide, and a report from Maryland released this month showed overdose deaths soared by 111% in parts of the state during the pandemic.
The Effective Drug Control Strategy Act was inspired by a report released by the Bipartisan Policy Center on how the federal government can best focus federal funding to address the opioid epidemic. The legislation directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP) to track and review all federally-funded drug demand reduction activities, which will help the federal government prioritize the most effective drug control strategies.
“The astronomical spikes in overdose deaths over the past year show that we have no time to waste in the fight against addiction,” said Congressman Trone. “This bill is exactly what we need to better coordinate our efforts, better spend taxpayer dollars, and save lives from this horrible disease. I’d like to thank Congressman Burchett for working with me on this much-needed bipartisan legislation.”
“Congress must ensure federal efforts to control the ongoing opioid epidemic are hitting the mark,” Rep. Burchett said. “This is important legislation that boosts transparency and accountability within taxpayer-funded initiatives so the public knows these programs are effectively addressing this crisis. Solving the ongoing opioid epidemic is a cause we can all get behind, as evidenced by the bipartisan group of members introducing this bill, and I am proud to once again be a part of this effort.”
To read bill text, click here.
To read a bill summary, click here.
This is Trone’s third bill of the 117th Congress to fight the mental health and addiction crises. Last week, he introduced the Family Support Services for Addiction Act to assist non-profit organizations that provide family support services for addiction treatment, and the Preventing Mental Health and Substance Use Crises During Emergencies Act to create a joint task force to prevent mental health crises triggered by public health emergencies.
Congressman David Trone was elected to the House of Representatives in November 2018 to serve the 6th District of Maryland, which includes all or part of Montgomery, Frederick, Washington, Allegany, and Garrett Counties. Trone serves on the Appropriations and Joint Economic Committees in the 117th Congress and previously served on the Education and Labor and Foreign Affairs Committees. In Congress, Trone is fighting to make progress on issues that matter to Marylanders, including the opioid epidemic, criminal justice reform, and funding for medical research.
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