Grassley, Feenstra Bill Tackling Rural Opioid Epidemic Signed into Law

WASHINGTON – A bill led by Sen. Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Rep. Randy Feenstra (R-Iowa) to prevent opioid addiction, overdoses and deaths in rural communities has been signed into law. The Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act, introduced by Grassley and Sen. Jon Ossoff (D-Ga.) in the U.S. Senate, along with Feenstra and Rep. Conor Lamb (D-Pa.) in the U.S. House of Representatives, passed Congress with broad bipartisan support in both chambers.

 

“Today’s signing of the Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act is a critical step forward in our ongoing effort to curb the opioid crisis. This new law will help communities in Iowa and across the country handle any surge in opioid overdoses and prevent more Americans from falling victim to addiction,” Grassley said.

 

“I’m proud that my Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act, which I introduced with Senator Chuck Grassley, has officially been signed into law. This vital legislation will help the most vulnerable in our rural communities recover from opioid abuse, equip our healthcare workers with critical tools to treat addiction, and provide our first responders with the support they need to save lives,” Feenstra said. “In 2021 alone, more than 100,000 Americans died from a drug overdose. That is unacceptable. In the 118th Congress, I will continue to work with my colleagues to secure our southern border and expand access to recovery services because too many families have lost a loved one to the opioid epidemic.”

 

The bipartisan, bicameral legislation will help ensure that rural communities with a high level of opioid overdoses have the resources they need to respond to the crisis. Specifically, it will fill gaps in prevention, treatment and recovery services for individuals in rural areas with funding for local governments and organizations that serve rural communities heavily impacted by opioid addiction and abuse.

 

The Rural Opioid Abuse Prevention Act is supported by the National Rural Health Association, the Small & Rural Law Enforcement Executives’ Association, A New PATH (Parents for Addiction Treatment & Healing), Faces & Voices of Recovery and the Partnership to End Addiction.

 

Text of the bill is available HERE.

 

In October, Grassley convened a Senate Drug Caucus field hearing in Des Moines, where Iowa parents who lost children to fentanyl poisoning testified alongside state and federal drug enforcement officials. Grassley is co-chairman of the Senate Drug Caucus.

 

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