Press Releases

WASHINGTON – Yesterday, senior members of the House Energy and Commerce Committee, U.S. Representatives Larry Bucshon, M.D. (R-Ind.-08), Brett Guthrie (R-Ky.-02), Scott Peters (D-Calif-50), and Paul D. Tonko (D-N.Y.-20) introduced the bipartisan Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023 to reauthorize a comprehensive opioid recovery centers program.

“Right now in Indiana, one in every 12 Hoosiers is challenged with a substance use disorder. The Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Act would help more Hoosiers get the treatment they need to achieve long term recovery by ensuring that the treatment centers they rely on can provide appropriate, wrap-around services. The addiction crisis continues to have a devastating affect across the Hoosier state and this bill would ensure that effective tools and treatments continue to be made available to those in need,” said Bucshon. 

“The need for wrap-around, coordinated treatment and recovery support resources for people who want to take control of their opioid use disorder and rebuild their lives cannot be overstated. Opioids and synthetic opioids, such as fentanyl, continue to take the lives thousands of family members, friends, and neighbors too soon. After leading the bipartisan charge in 2018 to create comprehensive opioid recovery centers, I am proud to lead the effort to continue personalized treatment and recovery support services in communities that already utilize these services and make these services available in other high-need communities. As Chair of the Energy and Commerce Committee’s Health Subcommittee, I’m making combating the opioid crisis a top priority, especially since the COVID-19 pandemic compounded this crisis within many communities across the country,” said Guthrie.

"Three million Americans have had or currently suffer from opioid use disorder," said Peters. "SAMHSA's five Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers in the U.S., including one in San Diego County, go beyond the immediate need to address addiction; they also connect patients to housing, job security, and economic opportunity. Robust support for these centers to help Americans in need should be a priority for all of my colleagues in Congress."

“For the millions of Americans struggling with the disease of addiction, having access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services can mean the difference between life and death. I’m proud of the progress we’ve made to address our nation’s overdose epidemic, including the enactment of my Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT). But, we have much more work to do. SAMHSA’s Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers (CORCs) are an essential resource in responding to this crisis. I’m proud to stand alongside my colleagues to introduce this legislation, and I urge my colleagues in Congress to support this legislation and provide hope and a path forward for our communities,” said Tonko.

The Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers Reauthorization Act of 2023 reauthorizes the Comprehensive Opioid Recovery Centers grant program within the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) through 2028. This critical program provides wrap-around treatment and recovery support services to communities with higher rates of drug overdose deaths per capita by specifically requiring grantees to provide FDA-approved Medication Assisted Treatment (MAT), withdrawal management services, counseling services, recovery housing, and workforce training services, among others. This legislation advances a coordinated approach with a comprehensive set of wrap-around services that not all treatment centers offer to help to treat individuals seeking to overcome their substance use disorder.