WASHINGTON – Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) introduced bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program (COSSUP), which helps address the opioid epidemic through prevention, treatment, law enforcement and recovery resources. The program was established in 2016 by the Grassley-Whitehouse Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).
Specifically, COSSUP provides resources for law enforcement, first-responder programs, and family and drug courts to assist individuals suffering from substance use disorder. In 2021 and 2022 alone, COSSUP allowed more than 94,000 people to enroll in recovery-support services, more than 32,000 people to enroll in substance-use treatment programs and 59,000 people to be trained on the use of Naloxone, an effective overdose-reversal drug.
“The fight to end addiction requires a comprehensive and community-wide approach. That’s why I’m working to reauthorize the life-saving Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program, which addresses the opioid epidemic on multiple fronts,” Grassley said. “By equipping our communities with effective drug prevention and recovery resources, Congress can ensure Iowans in addiction-recovery will have the support they need to succeed.”
“Support for people battling addiction is a bipartisan priority in Congress, and there’s more to be done to build on our CARA law and support all those on the long, noble path to recovery,” Whitehouse said. “I’m partnering with Senator Grassley to push for the reauthorization of this grant program, which marks another step in the fight against an epidemic that has taken a heartbreaking toll on Rhode Islanders from all walks of life.”
The legislation is supported by 77 law enforcement and substance prevention organizations.
Bill text is available HERE.
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