Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022

Floor Speech

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Mrs. MILLER-MEEKS. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6493, the Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act. As we are coming out of a two-year pandemic, taking care of individuals with mental health and substance use disorders, especially college students, is crucial.

H.R. 6493, requires schools to develop evidence-based prevention and intervention strategies for college students and employees. H.R. 6493 requires both the Department of Education and the Department of Health and Human Services to identify and promote successful programs.

As a physician and former Iowa Director of Public Health, I know just how critical evidence-based practices are for prevention of alcohol and substance use disorders and how life saving these practices can be for any student. It is equally important for college campuses and the medical community to come together to do what is best for our nation's students.

I look forward to voting in support of H.R. 6493 and urge my colleagues to do the same.

Ms. JACKSON LEE. Madam Speaker, I rise today in support of H.R. 6493--to amend the ``Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022'' to promote substance misuse treatment rehabilitation and re-entry within institutions of higher education.

Today substance misuse targets our nation at a volatile rate. Specifically, when looking at our institutions of higher education our students are much more susceptible to being victims of substance misuse.

Common triggers for substance misuse include peer pressure, stress, social organization, and mental health issues.

Currently the ``Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022'', seeks to ensure that our public institutions are using funding given to them to provide the necessary outlets for recovery and re-entry into campus life.

Solutions the original bill provides include models for ``prevention of the use of illicit drugs and the abuse of alcohol'' by students and staff through connecting them with campus intervention, and rehabilitation resources.

As it stands the bill targets many of the necessary areas it needs to promote rehabilitation of substance abuse, but what it fails to do is provide the necessary funding allocations in ongoing to ensure the longevity of keeping our students safe.

Students who are struggling with substance misuse issues deserve to know that they are receiving the best possible care that they can, and we can foster that by making sure that our institutions of higher education have the resources they desperately need to be able continue to serve their student populations.

Through H.R. 6493 it will further push campuses to ensure that they are working with organizations both on and off campus.

Campuses will now be required to work with the Secretary of Education in conjunction with the Secretary of Health and Human Services to ensure that each campus is using their funding for the highest quality of rehabilitation and re-entry services.

H.R. 6493 will grant $15 million to institutions annually from to 2021-2028 to aid in funding public institutions' recovery, rehabilitation, and re-entry programs.

I ask that my colleagues join me in support of H.R. 6493--the Campus Prevention and Recovery Services for Students Act of 2022.

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