NE Washington News

Today, the House Committee on Energy and Commerce, under the direction of Chairman Brett Guthrie from Kentucky's 2nd District, is set to review 26 bills. Among these bills is H.R. 2483, also known as the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act of 2025. This piece of bipartisan legislation, led by Chairman Guthrie and Congresswoman Brittany Pettersen of Colorado's 7th District, has garnered strong backing from more than 160 organizations specializing in substance use disorder treatment and recovery.

Debbie Witchey, President and CEO of the Association for Behavioral Health and Wellness, highlighted the importance of this legislation. “The state of behavioral health in America remains a national crisis, with millions of people across the nation experiencing an SUD and 1 in 5 Americans experiencing an MH condition each year,” said Witchey. “The SUPPORT Act is critical to effectively addressing SUDs and co-occurring MH conditions. Its policies and provisions will continue to embrace prevention, treatment, and a pathway to recovery.”

A statement by the Advocates for Opioid Addiction Treatment reflected on recent statistics regarding drug overdose deaths. “Last month, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention reported a nearly 24% decline in drug overdose deaths from September 2023 through September 2024. The number of overdose deaths during this 12-month period was the lowest since June 2020,” the group shared. They credited the SUPPORT Act of 2018 for its part in reversing overdose trends.

Patty McCarthy, CEO of Faces & Voices of Recovery, pointed out the role of support services in reducing overdose rates. “Overdose rates are beginning to drop slightly, and we firmly believe that our investment in recovery support services is a major reason why. The SUPPORT Act gave rise to the Building Communities of Recovery Program, which seeks to mobilize and connect a broad array of community-based resources for persons with substance use disorders (SUD) and co-occurring substance use and mental disorders (COD),” McCarthy said. She reaffirmed support for the legislation and its goals.

H.R. 2483 seeks to reauthorize key public health programs that were initially set up by the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act of 2018. These programs are dedicated to the prevention, treatment, and recovery support for individuals with a substance use disorder.

The list of organizations supporting the bill includes names such as A Stepping Stone to Success, American Foundation for Suicide Prevention, and the National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI), among several others.