,,ii  #aagth ,,congress  #ast ,session  
,s4 #aff  ,,in ,,the ,,senate ,,of ,,the
 ,,united ,,states  ,february #b1       
#bjba,ms4 ,smith 7for herself and ,ms4  
,murkowski7 introduced the following    
bill2 which was read twice and referred 
to the ,committee on ,health1           
,education1 ,labor1 and ,pensions  ,a   
,,bill  ,to authorize grants to address 
substance use during ,,covid-#ai4  #a4  
,short title ,this ,act may be cited as 
the ,emergency ,support for ,substance  
,use ,disorders ,act4  #b4 ,findings    
,congress finds the following3 7#a7 ,in 
#bjah1 an estimated #afd1hjj1jjj people 
aged #ab or older in the ,united        
,states1 or #fj4b percent of such       
population1 were substance users        
7including1 tobacco1 alcohol1 or illicit
 drugs7 in the last month4  7#b7 ,in    
#bjah1 nearly #a in #e people aged #ab  
or older in the ,united ,states1 or     
#ai4d percent of such population1 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  
#c4 ,grant program on harms of drug     
misuse  7a7 ,in general ,the ,assistant 
,secretary for ,mental ,health and      
,substance ,use 7referred to in this    
section as the ,assistant ,secretary71  
in consultation with the ,director of   
the ,centers for ,disease ,control and  
,prevention1 shall award grants to      
,states1 political subdivisions of      
,states1 ,tribes1 ,tribal organizations1
 and community-based entities to support
 the delivery of overdose prevention1   
syringe services programs1 and other    
harm reduction services that address the
 harms of drug misuse during the        
,,covid-#ai pandemic1 including by--    
7#a7 preventing and controlling the     

spread of infectious diseases1 such as  
,,hiv_/,,aids and viral hepatitis1 and  
the consequences of such diseases for   
individuals with substance use disorder2
  7#b7 distributing opioid antagonists1 
such as naloxone1 to individuals at risk
 of overdose2  7#c7 connecting          
individuals at risk for1 or with1 a     
substance use disorder to overdose      
education1 counseling1 and health       
education2 and  7#d7 encouraging such   
individuals to take steps to reduce the 
negative personal and public health     
impacts of substance use or misuse      
during the emergency period4  7b7       
,considerations ,in awarding grants     
under this section1 the ,assistant      
,secretary shall prioritize grants to   
applicants that are-- 7#a7 culturally   
specific organizations1 ,tribal         
behavioral health and substance use     
disorder providers1 or organizations    
that are intentional about serving      
populations where ,,covid-#ai has had   
the most impact2 or  7#b7 proposing to  

serve areas with-- 7,a7 a higher        
proportion of the population who meet   
criteria for dependence on1 or abuse of1
 illicit drugs2  7,b7 a higher drug     
overdose death rate2  7,c7 a greater    
telemedicine infrastructure need2 and   
7,d7 a greater behavioral health and    
substance use disorder workforce need4  
7c7 ,use of grant awards ,a recipient of
 a grant under this section may use such
 grant funds for the following purposes3
 7#a7 ,adapt1 maintain1 and expand      
essential services provided by harm     
reduction service organizations to      
address the risks of ,,covid-#ai1 drug  
overdose1 and contraction of infectious 
disease4  7#b7 ,maintain or hire staff4 
7#c7 ,support program operational costs1
 including staff1 rent1 and vehicle     
purchase or maintenance4  7#d7 ,program 
supplies4  7#e7 ,hygiene and personal   
protective equipment for both staff and 
program participants4  7#f7 ,support and
 case management services4  7d7         
,definition ,in this section1 the term  

emergency period has the meaning given  
to such term in section                 
#aace7;g77#a77;,b7 of the ,social       
,security ,act 7#db ,u4,s4,c4           
#acbj;b-#e7;g77#a77;,b774  7e7          
,authorization of appropriations ,to    
carry out this section1 there is        
authorized to be appropriated           
#ej1jjj1jjj for fiscal year #bjba1 to   
remain available until expended4