The devastating reality is that there have been more than 100,000 annual overdose deaths in America since 2020. In Washington state, we have seen a larger increase in drug overdose deaths than anywhere else in the country with illicit fentanyl poisoning becoming the number one cause of death among our young people. 

This week, the House took action to address this crisis by passing the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act. This overwhelmingly bipartisan legislation will continue providing substance use and opioid use disorder treatment and recovery services to millions of Americans seeking help to overcome their substance use disorders.

This bill is about offering hope to those in despair – those battling substance use disorder, their families and loved ones, and the health care workers and law enforcement officers who need continued support to help save lives.

Many of these programs saw incredible success before the COVID-19 pandemic, increasing access to education and treatment that has restored lives across our country. Reauthorizing them will give communities across Eastern Washington and the United States new hope for a brighter future, and I am so proud of the work that has gone into getting it across the finish line in the House.

Click here to read the bill.