WASHINGTON, DC – On Friday, March 23, 2018, President Trump signed into law an Omnibus Appropriations Bill to set policy and allocate discretionary funding for the remainder of the fiscal year. The bill included several provisions to address the rising abuse of heroin and opioid drugs. Specifically, the bill funds four major programs:

– $1 billion in new funding for grants to States and Indian tribes to address the opioid epidemic

– $476 million at the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) to support increased opioid overdose surveillance and prevention activities at the national, state, and local level

– $500 million, at minimum, in research on opioid addiction supported by the National Institutes of Health (NIH)

– $130 million for the Rural Communities Opioid Response program, aimed to reach hard-hit rural America and target the unique issues associated with substance use disorder in rural areas

“The Opioid Epidemic is growing and has taken the lives of too many of our fellow Americans,” said Representative Steve Knight (R-CA) “When I was an officer, I saw first-hand the effects of heroin and prescription drug abuse. Addiction doesn’t just hurt the individual, but also bears an incredibly heavy cost on the family and community. I’m happy we were able to insert funding for these vitally important programs in the Omnibus. These resources will be used to help local communities assist those on the road to recovery and allow law enforcement to more effectively combat illicit drug trafficking.”

On February 27, 2018, Rep. Knight introduced H.R. 5100, the Recovery Home Certification Act with Representative Anna Eshoo (D-CA). This bill would establish minimum quality standards for addiction recovery homes to ensure that patients are properly cared. In addition, this bill would hold individuals who abuse the system accountable. The Recovery Home Certification Act is now being considered by the House Energy & Commerce Committee and the House Judiciary Committee.

Representative Knight is an 18 year veteran of the Los Angeles Police Department and a member of the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force in the U.S. House of Representatives.