MacArthur, Task Force Unveil Comprehensive Package To Combat Addiction

Since it was established in 2015, the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force has battled vigorously against the addiction epidemic. Rep. Tom MacArthur's (R-3) district, which includes parts of Ocean and Burlington county, has struggled with the epidemic for the last several years. MacArthur named co-chair of the Task Force in December.

The agenda released by the Bipartisan Heroin Task Force on Tuesday includes six pieces of what the committee calls “common sense legislation” that tackles the opioid epidemic from multiple angles, including law enforcement, prevention, treatment, and recovery.

“We have to be concerned about treatment for those who need help, but we also want to keep predators off the streets,” MacArthur said.

The bills included in the agenda for the 115th Congress include Jessie’s Law, the STOP OD Act, the Addiction Recovery Through Family Health Accounts Act, Road to Recovery Act, the INTERDICT Act, the Synthetic Drug Awareness Act, the CRIB Act, and the VA Prescription Data Accountability Act.

MacArthur is the sponsor for the Addiction Recovery Through Family Health Accounts Act, which would give family members the option of using funds in their Health Savings Accounts, Flexible Spending Accounts, or similar accounts to pay for addiction treatment for any relative, even if they aren’t a dependent. At this point, the law doesn’t allow people to use funds in their tax advantaged accounts to pay for a family member’s rehab unless they are a spouse, dependent, or a dependent relative.

“There might be grandparents who want to help with their grandchildren,” MacArthur said. “It’s a good policy that allows people to help all family members.”

He said the issue of addiction wasn’t in focus when the insurance laws were introduced, and that helping family members with addiction presents a unique problem in this circumstance. He called the proposed legislation a good starting point.

One bill would authorize no more than $75 million annually in grants for two years to expand educational efforts to prevent opiate abuse, promote treatment and recovery, and promote the understanding that addiction is a chronic disease. It would also set aside no more than $150 million annually in grants for two years to provide access to Naloxone, training in the administration of the drug, and testing for Fentanyl.

Funding would come in part from an $80 fee assessed to people convicted of certain drug offenses, including manufacturing, distribution and possession with the intent to distribute. After two years, the funds collected go toward paying down the federal debt.

“We must show real resolve” when dealing with people feeding others’ addictions, MacArthur said.
He cited a story he read recently about a man standing outside an elementary school with the intent to sell heroin to third-graders. He said he understands the difference between people selling drugs because they use them, and others who are profiting off the sickness of others.

Other legislation is designed to help those who suffer as a result of addictions, including the Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act. The CRIB Act would establish centers within Meidcaid that to treat babies with neonatal abstinence syndrome (NAS) exposure to opioids during pregnancy.

It would establish a provider type for NAS treatment centers clearly defining residential pediatric treatment centers. It also covers counseling for mothers and family members.

• Jessie’s Law, named after Michigan overdose victim Jessie Grubb, would ensure doctors have access to a consenting patient's prior history of addiction in order to make fully informed care and treatment decisions;
• The Road to Recovery Act would eliminate Medicaid exclusions for substance use disorder and help states expand access to inpatient treatment for Medicaid enrollees;
• The Synthetic Drug Awareness Act, requiring the United States Surgeon General to submit a report to Congress on the public health effects of synthetic drug use among people ages 12-18 years old.
• The VA Prescription Data Availability Act, clarifying that the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) is required to disclose information to state-controlled substance monitoring programs for anyone – veteran or non-veteran – who is prescribed these medications through VA;
• Legislation establishing a center to research alternative methods to the use of opioids in treating pain (U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Pain Center of Excellence); and
• The INTERDICT Act would appropriate $15 million for U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) to fund new screening devices, laboratory equipment, facilities, and personnel for the latest in chemical screening devices and scientific support to detect and intercept fentanyl and other synthetic opioids.

The proposals have been referred to various committees to begin the approval process. MacArthur said he believes it’s better to present all legislation as one big package, rather than submit one piece of legislation at a time.

MacArthur touted the bipartisan nature of the task force’s efforts, but noted it isn’t easy, particularly when it comes to funding. He said funding will come from different places.

As part of that fight, he and Bipartisan Task Force co-chair Anne McLane Kuster, a New Hampshire Democrat, sent a letter to the Trump Administration asking it not to slash the Office of National Drug Control Policy by about 95 percent, and not to eliminate the High Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas Program, cuts that are reportedly part of the 2018 budget.

“I think the administration is being shortsighted,” MacArthur said. “We need to fight for what we believe in. I’m grateful that I can be here, and that I can make a difference in this area."

Attached image via Shutterstock