WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) today participated in a roundtable discussion hosted by First Lady Melania Trump on the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act. As a leader in the Senate fighting against the opioid epidemic, Senator Capito played a heavy hand in shaping much of the bipartisan legislation. Thursday marks one year since President Donald Trump signed this legislation into law.
“Having put so much work into shaping this legislation, I was honored to be a part of the First Lady’s roundtable discussion today,” Senator Capito said. “This legislation has allowed us to finally deliver on our promise for a robust, comprehensive response to the opioid epidemic that is plaguing West Virginia and so many other state across the country. I thank the First Lady for convening this group of members today to discuss an issue that is so critical in West Virginia. During the discussion, I highlighted the many solutions that are working in our communities in West Virginia such as Quick Response Teams, Lily’s Place in Huntington, and Targeted Response Grants. I look forward to continuing to work with the First Lady, as well as the entire Trump Administration and my colleagues in the Senate to address this issue that is so critical to West Virginia and communities across America.”
Senator Capito participates in a roundtable discussion with First Lady Melania Trump and others on efforts to combat the opioid epidemic.
As a leader in the fight against opioids, Senator Capito introduced or led as a co-sponsor the following provisions in the SUPPORT Act, now law:
- A change to the 21st Century Cures Act State Targeted Response Grants formula that focuses federal funds on states like West Virginia that have been hit hardest by the opioid crisis.
- The Opioid Addiction Recovery Fraud Prevention Act, which will hold fraudulent substance abuse treatment programs and recovery centers accountable by empowering the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) to bring enforcement actions to combat such scams.
- Resources for communities to start or expand programs for coordination of care and treatment after an overdose, such as the successful Quick Response Teams (QRTs) that have had such success in Huntington, West Virginia, and are now expanding throughout the state.
- The Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, which will help prevent the shipment of synthetic opioids like fentanyl into the United States through the international mail system by imposing tough new requirements on the U.S. Postal Service and Customs and Border Protection.
- New resources to identify, prevent, and mitigate the effects of trauma related to the opioid epidemic among infants, children, and their families. Includes the creation of a task force to identify and disseminate trauma-informed best practices within federal grant programs; a grant program to link educational agencies with mental health systems to increase student access to evidence-based trauma support services; additional funding for the National Child Traumatic Stress Network; and the expansion of programs to increase the mental health workforce for this population.
- The Caring Recovery for Infants and Babies (CRIB) Act, which clarifies states’ ability under Medicaid to provide care for infants with neonatal abstinence syndrome in residential pediatric recovery centers like Lily’s Place in Huntington, West Virginia. It also reauthorizes the Residential l Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women grant program Senator Capito worked to include in CARA and includes grants to help states implement plans of safe care for substance-exposed infants included in CARA.
- The Using Data to Prevent Opioid Diversion Act, which will provide drug manufacturers and distributors with data to identify pharmacies that are suspiciously ordering prescription opioids and provide law enforcement the authority to hold them accountable if they fail to use this data to identify, report, and stop suspicious orders of prescription opioids.
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