Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act

Floor Speech

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Mr. CARTER of Georgia. Mr. Speaker, I rise today in strong support of the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which reauthorizes important programs that bolster prevention, treatment, and recovery services for Americans with substance use disorders and mental illnesses.

Mr. Speaker, it is no secret that the opioid and mental health crises are continuing to tear our families and communities apart. In 2022, a record number of our sons' and daughters' lives were taken by opioid overdoses, the majority of which were caused by illicit fentanyl poisoning.

Every day we are losing almost 300 Americans as a result of drug overdoses and poisonings. This is impacting every single one of us in the communities we call home. Fortunately, we have an opportunity here today to pass one of the single largest congressional efforts to address our opioid and mental health crises.

The SUPPORT Act is responsible for increasing access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services for opioid and substance use disorders, including fentanyl.

Another important part of this legislation is making opioid overdose reversal agents, like naloxone, easier to obtain. The SUPPORT Act also includes my Responsible Mental Health Medications Prescribing Act, which standardizes the oversight and reporting of antipsychotic medications prescribed to Medicaid recipients.

This reauthorization ensures that programs supporting our most vulnerable Americans do not lapse and can reach all communities. I urge my colleagues to support the reauthorization of this bill, which will help save lives and help us fight the opioid crisis.

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