Senate passes opioid bills led by Sen. Tim Scott

WASHINGTON, D.C. (WCIV) — The United States Senate passed a package of bills to combat the opioid crisis this week.

Two of the bills were lead by U.S. Senator Tim Scott (R-SC).

The two bills aimed to strengthen family treatments and recovery.

Senate Passes Two Scott Bills in Landmark Opioid Crisis Package

“While we were faced with and continue to prepare for new challenges posed by Hurricane Florence back home in South Carolina, I am glad to see that the Senate continued its job in ensuring that our country’s families are equipped to combat the epidemic of opioid abuse,” Senator Scott said. “I look forward to seeing the scourge of opioid abuse decrease as this legislation is implemented.”

The two Scott bills passed in the Opioid Crisis Response Act were the Supporting Family-Focused Residential Treatment Acts (S. 2924) and the Improving Recovery and Reunifying Families Act (S. 2926).

The first bill calls on the Department of Health and Human Services to develop guidance for states on potential avenues for family-focused residential treatment programs and substance use disorder programs that allow children to remain with their parents or guardians during treatment. Read the bill here.

The latter would provide support and evaluation to projects using recovery coaching to help reunify families and protect children through HHS.