Starting today, the U.S. Senate takes up the bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA, S. 524) to address the national crisis of opioid drug addiction. The legislation—authored by Senators Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Rob Portman (R-OH)—gives states tools to “prevent drug abuse, treat addiction, and reduce overdose deaths.” The prevention section of the bill calls for a “federal inter-agency task force to review, modify, and update best practices for pain management and prescribing pain medication, ” the creation of awareness campaigns, and grants to eligible entities to implement strategies to address local drug crises.

The bill (summary attached) was first introduced last year and has gained momentum lately as the crisis continues and has become more visible in the presidential campaign. While the bill has rare bipartisan support, it does not include funding and therefore would be an empty promise unless Congress approves financing. Senator Schumer (D-NY), among other Senators, is pressing the funding issue. President Obama has called for emergency funding in the FY ’17 Budget.

Photo credit: The National Council