The bill passed 393 to eight in the House of Representatives and 98 to one in the Senate. The new law contains a measure sponsored by Sen. Rob Portman (R-Ohio) and Amy Klobuchar (D-Minn.) that will close a loophole that makes it easier for traffickers to send fentanyl through the mail, mainly from China.
The law focuses largely on opioid addiction treatment, creating a grant program for recovery centers that include housing and job training as well as increasing access to medication-assisted treatment. It also allows for broader Medicaid and Medicare coverage for substance abuse treatment.
President Trump declared the opioid crisis a public health emergency under federal law Oct. 26, 2017. In 2018, Congress appropriated $8.5 billion for opioid-related programs, but there is no guarantee of additional funding in later years. In September, HHS reported it awarded more than $1 billion in grants to combat the opioid epidemic, focusing primarily on treatment and prevention.
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