WASHINGTON – Today, U.S. Senator Bill Cassidy, M.D. (R-LA), chair of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee, applauded President Trump signing his SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act into law. The law bolsters prevention, treatment, and recovery services for Americans with substance use disorders and mental illness.
“The opioid and mental health crisis is devastating families across the nation. Thousands of Americans die each month from an overdose,” said Dr. Cassidy. “President Trump and I are committed to tackling this crisis head-on. I’m proud to work with him to enact the SUPPORT Act to equip communities with vital resources to save lives.”
The SUPPORT Act originally passed Congress and was signed into law by President Trump in 2018. The legislation expired on September 30, 2023.
Since arriving to Congress, Cassidy has worked with President Trump on multiple efforts to combat the opioid crisis and strengthen mental health resources for families and children. In July, President Trump signed into law Cassidy’s HALT Fentanyl Act, which gives law enforcement another tool to combat drug cartels by permanently scheduling fentanyl-related substances (FRS) as Schedule I under the Controlled Substances Act.
The SUPPORT Act Reauthorization of 2025:
- Renews and strengthens important programs for prevention, treatment, and recovery.
- Helps individuals in recovery reenter the workforce to get back on their feet.
- Reauthorizes specialized programs that treat moms and babies with alcohol and other substance use disorders.
- Reauthorizes comprehensive opioid recovery centers that provide a full spectrum of support services for individuals with substance use disorders.
- Helps more addiction medicine providers enter the workforce, increasing capacity of recovery programs.
- Ensures that 9-8-8 Suicide Prevention Lifeline is protected from cybersecurity threats.
- Trains first responders to administer life-saving opioid overdose reversal medications.
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