Federal Advocacy Update: Shatterproof’s Recommendations Have Been Submitted to Congress

With hearings in both the House and Senate and a number of bills under discussion to address the opioid epidemic, this was a busy week on Capitol Hill. And Shatterproof worked hard all week to make the voices of addiction experts and concerned families heard by legislators.

We’ve submitted legislative recommendations to both the House and Senate, voicing our support for the strongest bills currently under consideration, and seeking to amend others to ensure they incorporate solutions that we know will work.

On Monday, Shatterproof wrote to the House Energy and Commerce Committee outlining several recommendations for the new opioid legislation they’re putting together. Shatterproof recommended improving provider training, increasing access to evidence-based treatment, incentivizing better technology for behavioral health providers, and more.

The final hearings on these bills took place Wednesday and Thursday this week. As the House moves forward on their opioid bills later this month, Shatterproof will continue to advocate for maximizing this legislative opportunity to save as many lives as possible.

And on Wednesday, Shatterproof submitted comments on the discussion draft for the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, which was reviewed during a hearing on the same day by the Senate Committee on Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP). We recommended that Senators provide additional funding to ensure that all Americans have access to naloxone, and to permanently allow additional provider types to prescribe buprenorphine, including not just nurse practitioners and physician assistants, but also clinical nurse specialists, certified nurse midwives and certified registered nurse anesthetists.

The opioid epidemic doesn’t need to take decades to solve. With smart, common sense provisions like the ones we’ve submitted to Congress, we can start saving lives right now.

As opioid-related legislation moves through the House and Senate, we’ll keep you posted every step of the way, and let you know how you can get involved in this important battle.