Public Health and Other Related Provisions in P.L 115-271, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act

Summary

On October 24, 2018, President Donald J. Trump signed into law H.R. 6, the Substance Use-Disorder Prevention that Promotes Opioid Recovery and Treatment for Patients and Communities Act (P.L. 115-271; the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, or the SUPPORT Act).

The SUPPORT Act is a sweeping measure designed to address widespread overprescribing and abuse of opioids in the United States. The act includes provisions involving law enforcement, public health, and health care financing and coverage. Broadly, the legislation imposes tighter oversight of opioid production and distribution; imposes additional reporting and safeguards to address fraud; and limits coverage of prescription opioids, while expanding coverage of and access to opioid addiction treatment services. The law also authorizes a number of programs that seek to expand consumer education on opioid use and train additional providers to treat individuals with opioid use disorders.

The SUPPORT Act builds on recent efforts by the federal government to address the opioid epidemic, including the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 (CARA; P.L. 114-198) and the 21st Century Cures Act (Cures Act; P.L. 114-255). CARA addressed substance use issues broadly, targeting the opioid crisis predominantly through public health and law enforcement strategies. The Cures Act, enacted that same year, largely focused on medical innovation, but it also authorized additional funding to combat opioid addiction and included provisions addressing various mental health and substance use activities.

CRS is publishing a series of reports on the SUPPORT Act, which consists of eight titles. This report summarizes the provisions in Title VII and VIII of the SUPPORT Act. Title VII, Public Health Provisions, includes a number of provisions that seek to improve the information collected about opioid abuse and increase access to treatment by supporting treatment programs and providers, among other things. Title VIII, Miscellaneous, includes, among others, provisions related to child welfare, the Department of Justice (DOJ), and drug testing required by the Department of Transportation (DOT). It also includes several revenue-related provisions and the budget effects of this act and also describes Section 4003, an offset included in Title IV related to individuals who seek a religious exemption from the requirement to maintain health insurance coverage.