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WEDNESDAY, JUN 6, 2018

NACo LEGISLATIVE ANALYSIS - Opioid Legislation in the 115th Congress

As the U.S. struggles to contain the opioid epidemic, legislators in Congress have put forth numerous proposals aimed at strengthening the nation’s response to this crisis. Many of these proposals would impact county governments, which are at the heart of America’s response to addiction through local health systems, human services agencies and law enforcement departments.

NACo is closely monitoring the progress of opioid legislation moving through Congress and has prepared an analysis of the various proposals under consideration, with special focus given to items that could strengthen the local response to the opioid epidemic. Highlighted items in the rightmost column of the chart describe potential local impact of the legislation.

The House legislation chart details separate bills, whereas the Senate chart breaks down the single but wide-ranging piece of legislation currently used as a vehicle for advancing the chamber’s work on this issue (S. 2680, the Opioid Crisis Response Act). Both charts break down proposals into the following overarching categories:

  • Prevention, Education and Research
  • Prescriber Practices
  • Public Safety and Law Enforcement
  • Treatment and Recovery

This analysis is part of NACo’s ongoing effort to help strengthen federal support for county agencies on the frontlines of our nation’s response to the opioid epidemic. NACo previously partnered with the National League of Cities (NLC) to produce a joint report, Prescription for Action: Local Leadership in Ending the Opioid Crisis, which offers recommendations for the local, state and federal response to this national crisis.