,i  #aafth ,,congress  #b;d ,session    
,h4 ,r4 #ffbj  ,,in ,,the ,,house ,,of  
,,representatives  ,april #bd1 #bjbj,ms4
 ,kuster of ,new ,hampshire 7for herself
 and ,mr4 ,katko7 introduced the        
following bill2 which was referred to   
the ,committee on ,energy and ,commerce 
,a ,,bill  ,to authorize grants to      
address substance use during            
,,covid-#ai4  #a4 ,findings ,congress   
finds the following3 7#a7 ,in #bjah1 an 
estimated #afd1hjj1jjj people aged #ab  
or older in the ,united ,states1 or     
#fj4b percent1 were past month substance
 users 7including1 tobacco1 alcohol1 or 
illicit drugs74  7#b7 ,in #bjah1 nearly 
#a in #e people aged #ab or older in the
 ,united ,states1 or #ai4d percent1 used
 an illicit drug in the past year1 which
 is a higher percentage than in #bjae   
and #bjaf4  7#c7 ,in #bjah1 an estimated
 #aj1cjj1jjj people aged #ab or older in
 the ,united ,states misused opioids in 
the past year1 including #i1ijj1jjj     
prescription pain reliever misusers and 

#hjh1jjj heroin users4  7#d7 ,in #bjag1 
overdose deaths involving opioids in the
 ,united ,states1 including fentanyl1   
was #f times higher than in #aiii4  7#e7
 ,the age-adjusted rate of drug overdose
 deaths involving synthetic opioids in  
the ,united ,states other than methadone
 increased by #aj percent from #bjag to 
#bjah4  7#f7 ,in #bjah1 approximately   
#bj1cjj1jjj people aged #ab or older in 
the ,united ,states had a substance use 
disorder related to their use of alcohol
 or illicit drugs in the past year4     
7#g7 ,in #bjah1 an estimated #ba1bjj1jjj
 people aged #ab or older in the ,united
 ,states needed substance use treatment4
  7#h7 ,according to the ,substance     
,abuse and ,mental ,health ,services    
,administration1 ,,covid-#ai will       
certainly contribute to growth in the   
numbers referred to in the preceding    
paragraphs4 ,individuals across the     
,united ,states will struggle with      
increases in depression1 anxiety1       
trauma1 and grief4 ,there is also       

anticipated increase in substance misuse
 in the ,united ,states as lives are    
impacted for individuals and families4  
#b4 ,grant program on harms of drug     
misuse  7a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant 
,secretary shall award grants to        
,states1 territories1 counties1 ,tribes1
 ,tribal organizations1 and             
community-based entities to address the 
harms of drug misuse1 such as by-- 7#a7 
addressing the spread of ,,hiv_/,,aids  
and hepatitis ,c2  7#b7 connecting      
individuals with a substance use        
disorder to overdose education1         
counseling1 and health education2 or    
7#c7 encouraging such individuals to    
take steps to reduce the negative       
personal and public health impacts of   
substance use during any emergency      
period1 as defined in subparagraph 7,b7 
of section #aace7;g77#a7 of the ,social 
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a774  7b7               
,considerations ,in prioritizing grant  
awards under this section1 the          

,secretary shall take into account--    
7#a7 the proportion of people in the    
area served by the applicant who meet   
criteria for dependence on or abuse of  
illicit drugs who have not received any 
treatment2  7#b7 drug overdose death    
rates2  7#c7 telemedicine infrastructure
 needs2  7#d7 workforce needs2  7#e7    
prevention and recovery supports2 and   
7#f7 efforts to reduce stigma4  7c7     
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this section1 there is        
authorized to be appropriated #e1jjj1jjj
 for the period beginning on the date of
 enactment of this ,act and ending on   
the later of-- 7#a7 ,november #cj1      
#bjbj2 and  7#b7 the end of the         
emergency period 7as defined in section 
#aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b7774