Senator Elizabeth Warren (D-Mass.) last week reintroduced her Comprehensive Addiction Resources Emergency (CARE) Act, which would provide $100 billion over 10 years to state and local governments to assist in the fight against opioid use disorder.
The CARE bill in the House is sponsored by Representative Elijah Cummings (D-Md.). Nine members of the Massachusetts delegation have signed on to it: Senator Edward Markey, and Representatives Katherine Clark, Bill Keating, Joseph Kennedy III, Stephen Lynch, Jim McGovern, Seth Moulton, Ayanna Pressley, and Lori Trahan.
The bill would, among other things, provide:
•
$4 billion per year to states, territories, and tribal governments;
•
$1.6 billion through competitive grants, and $400 million for tribal grants;
•
$2.7 billion per year to the hardest hit counties and cities;
•
$1.7 billion per year for public health surveillance, biomedical research, and improved training for health professionals, including $500 million to train and provide technical assistance to professionals treating substance use disorders;
•
$1.1 billion per year to support expanded and innovative service delivery, including $500 million for public and nonprofit entities; and
•
$500 million per year to expand access to overdose reversal drugs (Naloxone) and provide it to states to distribute to first responders, public health departments, and the public.
Warren’s office estimates Massachusetts would receive about $120 million annually from the bill, which was first introduced last year. She has said previously that the CARE Act could be funded by her proposed tax on very wealthy individuals (2% tax increase on those with more than $50 million and higher rate for billionaires).
MHA, which in coordination with its membership, other health entities, and the state has undertaken
a series of substance use disorder initiatives, applauds Warren for the CARE bill.