WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Commerce, Science, and Transportation Committee, today voted to advance several of her legislative priorities: the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act and the Rural Reasonable and the Comparable Wireless Access Act. Following markup of the legislation—which the committee approved today—Senator Capito issued this statement:

“Tackling the opioid epidemic and bridging the digital divide have always been two of my top priorities, and today’s votes are positive steps in accomplishing these goals. I’ve worked hard with my colleagues on both sides of the aisle to develop new solutions like these that will connect our communities and help those struggling with addiction. Addressing these issues head on will help West Virginians get their lives back on track and ensure that our state is not left behind. I thank my colleagues on the Senate Commerce Committee for joining me in advancing these two important bills.”

Senator Capito introduced the Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act last week with Senator Catherine Cortez Masto (D-Nev.). The bipartisan bill would hold fraudulent substance abuse treatment programs and recovery centers accountable by empowering the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) and state attorneys general to bring enforcement actions to combat these scams.

A one pager on the bill can be found here.

The text of the bill can be found here

The Rural Reasonable and the Comparable Wireless Access Act was introduced by Senators Capito and Maggie Hassan (D-N.H.) in February. The bipartisan legislation directs the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) to establish a national standard for determining whether mobile and broadband services in rural areas are “reasonably comparable” to service provided in urban areas. The bill will help ensure that there is equitable wireless and broadband service in rural and urban areas, which has long been undefined.

More information on the bill can be found here.

05-22-2018 Commerce Markup Play Button OPTION 2

Click here or the image above for video of Senator Capito’s remarks.

# # #