Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act of 2016

Floor Speech

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I thank the gentlewoman. I rise in support of her amendment. I also rise to state my unyielding support for the underlying legislation introduced by my friend, Jim Sensenbrenner from Wisconsin, literally an institution of statutory production in the halls of this Congress. I appreciate it.

This DelBene amendment would enable States and local governments to use grant monies for treatment alternatives to incarceration programs, including community-based abuse diversion programs sponsored by a law enforcement agency.

H.R. 5046 authorizes the attorney general to make grants to State and local governments for the development, expansion, or implementation of opioid abuse treatment programs as an alternative to incarceration. This amendment would expand eligibility for such grants to community- based substance abuse diversion programs sponsored by a law enforcement agency.

The cooperation and involvement of local law enforcement agencies is an important component in any comprehensive effort to combat opioid abuse. Diversion programs can play a key role in improving outcomes and rehabilitating opioid drug offenders.

Diversion programs also benefit law enforcement by conserving law enforcement resources, judicial and penal resources, while enabling police agencies and courts to focus on drug traffickers and other serious criminals.

Based on those facts, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition to the gentleman's amendment, though I do not oppose the amendment.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment authorizes grants for programs to develop secure prescription drug containers to prevent individuals, particularly children, from gaining access to opioid medications that have been lawfully prescribed to others.

This amendment addresses a serious problem--the unauthorized access to or use of lawfully prescribed prescription opioid medications by a person other than the individual for whom the drugs were prescribed.

The use of prescription opioid medications is controlled for a good reason. The misuse of such medications can have serious, even fatal, consequences. Perhaps the most tragic situation is one in which a child finds and, out of innocent curiosity, takes a prescription medication that is in the home, with the drugs having been prescribed for a parent or other family member, and that person then suffers an overdose. This amendment will help prevent this problem by providing funding for programs that utilize technology to help develop secure containers for prescription drugs.

The advancement of such potentially lifesaving technology deserves our full support. For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this amendment.

Mr. Chairman, I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, I rise in opposition, although I don't oppose the underlying amendment.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. Mr. Chairman, this amendment would expand the list of eligible grant uses for the new program under H.R. 5046 to include efforts to develop, implement, or expand a program to prevent and address opiate abuse by veterans. This amendment would add programs for veterans to prevent and address opiate abuse to the list of grants authorized under H.R. 5046.

The bill creates a grant program geared toward addressing opiate abuse. As currently drafted, the bill defines eight areas of uses for which grants may be awarded.

This amendment makes clear that veterans programs are among the purposes for which the grants may be used. Our veterans have sacrificed for us, and we should take appropriate steps to assist those veterans who suffer from opiate abuse and heroin abuse.

I support this amendment and I encourage my colleagues to support it.

I yield back the balance of my time.

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Mr. JOHNSON of Georgia. I thank the gentleman for yielding.

Mr. Chairman, I rise in support of the Lynch amendment. It expands the list of eligible grant uses for the grant program created by H.R. 5046 to include programs that ensure the security of opioids in medical facilities.

This amendment would add programs that ensure the security of opioids in medical facilities to the list of grant uses authorized under H.R. 5046. Maintaining opioids securely in medical facilities protects the public by helping to ensure that the drugs will not fall into the hands of individuals who will use them or sell them improperly or illegally.

If State or local governments wish to take steps to better secure these facilities, grant funding under this program should be available to them.

Therefore, I support the amendment.

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