Legislation aimed at halting the nation’s opioid crisis has been approved by the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, of which Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is a member.
The bipartisan Opioid Response Act of 2018 “takes a multi-faceted approach, from prevention and enforcement, down to care and treatment,” Murkowski said. “We recognize this problem isn’t going to be solved overnight, but fully addressing this epidemic through an all-hands-on-deck approach must be a priority.”
Murkowski worked to insert in the bill standalone measures aimed at increasing mental health treatment, increasing access to trauma informed care and expansion of available treatment options for rural communities.
The bill still needs approval of the full Congress and the president to become law.
