Kuster Provides Opioid Legislative Update

CONCORD, NH — U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster, D-NH, met with recovery providers, members of New Hampshire law enforcement, and government officials to discuss legislative efforts to curb the growing opioid addiction epidemic, according to a press statement. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), co-sponsored by Kuster, was signed into law by President Obama last month, and makes important reforms such as, improving access to life-saving medication like buprenorphine by allowing nurse practitioners to administer the drug, creating new grant programs for treatment facilities, and investing in lifelong recovery efforts.

Kuster, who has helped lead the fight in Washington for additional funding to address the heroin crisis in New Hampshire, convened the meeting at Riverbend Community Mental Health Center in Concord.

“As we know all too well, the opioid addiction epidemic is taking a devastating toll on our state, killing loved ones and tearing apart communities,” Kuster said. "The CARA legislation marked a step forward in the battle against the opioid crisis, but it's clear from what I heard today that much more must be done. We need to come together in Congress and pass desperately needed emergency funding so that those working on the ground to address the epidemic have the resources they need."

Kuster was joined by Chief Justice of the New Hampshire Superior Court, the Honorable Tina Nadeau, as well as representatives from the Riverbend Community Mental Health Center, New Futures, Hope for NH Recovery, Concord Hospital, New Hampshire Medical Society, Northeast Delta Dental, and Concord law enforcement officials.

As the cofounder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic, Congresswoman Kuster was instrumental in the fight to pass 18 bills in the House to address the opioid crisis. In recognition of her leadership on this issue, Kuster was appointed to the conference committee that worked to combine the House bills with a Senate counterpart to produce the final version of CARA that President Obama signed into law.

Caption: U.S. Rep. Ann McLane Kuster discusses the recently signed into law Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act in Concord on Aug. 16, 2016.

Submitted by Nick Brown.