To authorize grants to address substance use during COVID-19.

I 116TH CONGRESS 2D SESSION H. R. 6620 To authorize grants to address substance use during COVID–19. IN THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES APRIL 24, 2020 Ms. KUSTER of New Hampshire (for herself and Mr. KATKO) introduced the following bill; which was referred to the Committee on Energy and Commerce A BILL To authorize grants to address substance use during COVID–19. Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa- 1 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 2 SECTION 1. FINDINGS. 3 Congress finds the following: 4 (1) In 2018, an estimated 164,800,000 people 5 aged 12 or older in the United States, or 60.2 per- 6 cent, were past month substance users (including, 7 tobacco, alcohol, or illicit drugs). 8 (2) In 2018, nearly 1 in 5 people aged 12 or 9 older in the United States, or 19.4 percent, used an 10 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:52 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00001 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6620.IH H6620 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 2 •HR 6620 IH illicit drug in the past year, which is a higher per- 1 centage than in 2015 and 2016. 2 (3) In 2018, an estimated 10,300,000 people 3 aged 12 or older in the United States misused 4 opioids in the past year, including 9,900,000 pre- 5 scription pain reliever misusers and 808,000 heroin 6 users. 7 (4) In 2017, overdose deaths involving opioids 8 in the United States, including fentanyl, was 6 times 9 higher than in 1999. 10 (5) The age-adjusted rate of drug overdose 11 deaths involving synthetic opioids in the United 12 States other than methadone increased by 10 per- 13 cent from 2017 to 2018. 14 (6) In 2018, approximately 20,300,000 people 15 aged 12 or older in the United States had a sub- 16 stance use disorder related to their use of alcohol or 17 illicit drugs in the past year. 18 (7) In 2018, an estimated 21,200,000 people 19 aged 12 or older in the United States needed sub- 20 stance use treatment. 21 (8) According to the Substance Abuse and Men- 22 tal Health Services Administration, COVID-19 will 23 certainly contribute to growth in the numbers re- 24 ferred to in the preceding paragraphs. Individuals 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:52 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00002 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6620.IH H6620 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 3 •HR 6620 IH across the United States will struggle with increases 1 in depression, anxiety, trauma, and grief. There is 2 also anticipated increase in substance misuse in the 3 United States as lives are impacted for individuals 4 and families. 5 SEC. 2. GRANT PROGRAM ON HARMS OF DRUG MISUSE. 6 (a) IN GENERAL.—The Assistant Secretary shall 7 award grants to States, territories, counties, Tribes, Trib- 8 al organizations, and community-based entities to address 9 the harms of drug misuse, such as by— 10 (1) addressing the spread of HIV/AIDS and 11 hepatitis C; 12 (2) connecting individuals with a substance use 13 disorder to overdose education, counseling, and 14 health education; or 15 (3) encouraging such individuals to take steps 16 to reduce the negative personal and public health 17 impacts of substance use during any emergency pe- 18 riod, as defined in subparagraph (B) of section 19 1135(g)(1) of the Social Security Act (42 U.S.C. 20 1320b–5(g)(1)). 21 (b) CONSIDERATIONS.—In prioritizing grant awards 22 under this section, the Secretary shall take into account— 23 (1) the proportion of people in the area served 24 by the applicant who meet criteria for dependence on 25 VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:52 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\H6620.IH H6620 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS 4 •HR 6620 IH or abuse of illicit drugs who have not received any 1 treatment; 2 (2) drug overdose death rates; 3 (3) telemedicine infrastructure needs; 4 (4) workforce needs; 5 (5) prevention and recovery supports; and 6 (6) efforts to reduce stigma. 7 (c) AUTHORIZATION OF APPROPRIATIONS.—To carry 8 out this section, there is authorized to be appropriated 9 $5,000,000 for the period beginning on the date of enact- 10 ment of this Act and ending on the later of— 11 (1) November 30, 2020; and 12 (2) the end of the emergency period (as defined 13 in section 1135(g)(1)(B) of the Social Security Act 14 (42 U.S.C. 1320b–5(g)(1)(B))). 15 Æ VerDate Sep 11 2014 21:52 Apr 27, 2020 Jkt 099200 PO 00000 Frm 00004 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6301 E:\BILLS\H6620.IH H6620 kjohnson on DSK79L0C42PROD with BILLS