House passed three bills in the fight against opioids

The House has passed three bills aimed at reducing opioid addiction, including one investigating abuse and addiction by a vote of 410-1, reports The Hill.

The legislation, written by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer, plans to create a five-year study into federal grants dedicated to preventing opioid abuse. Two other bills passed by voice vote earlier Tuesday.

“We need to actually help stop the abuse, not just create programs to talk about it,” McCarthy said. “We need to use the power of data to determine whether these programs actually work.”

“This bill will help ensure that future investments... are allocated in the most effective way possible,” added Hoyer.

The two bills that passed by voice vote included a plan to expand the Department of Veterans Affairs safety programs for patients using painkillers and a call for a government study into “Good Samaritan” laws.

At the time of the vote, the House Rules Committee also went through amendments on the existing opioid bills and plan to rewrite prescriber practices. The House plans to merge the opioid bills into a final package before being combined with the Senate’s Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA) then being sent to the president this summer.