Press Releases

Today, Members of the Committee on Education and the Workforce introduced four bipartisan bills to comprehensively address the opioid public health crisis:

H.R. 5889, Recognizing Early Childhood Trauma Related to Substance Abuse Act of 2018 | Dave Brat (R-VA) and Tom O’Halleran (D-AZ)
H.R. 5889 requires HHS to disseminate information to professionals working with young children on ways to recognize children impacted by trauma related to an adult’s substance use, and how to respond in a manner that will provide the best support for the child.

H.R. 5890, Assisting States' Implementation of Plans of Safe Care Act | Tom Garrett (R-VA) and Stephanie Murphy (D-FL)
H.R. 5890 requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to provide states with guidance to support their implementation of the plans of safe care assurance, including by enhancing their understanding of the law, addressing state-identified challenges, sharing best practices, and supporting collaboration.

H.R. 5891, Improving the Federal Response to Families Impacted by Substance Use Disorder Act | Glenn Grothman (R-WI) and Conor Lamb (D-PA)
H.R. 5891 establishes an interagency task force to develop a strategy on how federal agencies can implement a coordinated approach to responding to the opioid epidemic, with a particular focus on the existing programs that support infants, children, and their families.                    

H.R. 5892 | Jason Lewis (R-MN) and Matt Cartwright (D-PA)
H.R. 5892 creates an Advisory Committee to advise the Secretary of Labor on actions the Department can take to address opioid abuse in the workplace.

Upon introduction of the legislation, Rep. Virginia Foxx (R-NC), chairwoman of the Committee on Education and the Workforce, issued the following statement:

"Millions of Americans have been impacted by the national opioid epidemic. American communities are suffering, and no statistics can accurately capture the epidemic's human toll. It is clear that addiction affects not only the lives of users, but the lives of their families and colleagues as well.

"I applaud Representatives Dave Brat (R-VA), Tom Garrett (R-VA), Glenn Grothman (R-WI), and Jason Lewis (R-MN) for their leadership on these important legislative solutions to support those who have been impacted by the opioid epidemic. Thanks to their hard work, we are one step closer to bringing stability, health, and healing to our communities."

To learn more about what the committee is doing to address the opioid epidemic, click here.

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