Dold's Bipartisan Bill to Prevent Drug Overdoses Passes Senate, Heads to President's Desk to Become Law

Press Release

U.S. Congressman Robert Dold (IL-10) today celebrated Senate passage of S. 524, the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act conference report, which passed by a bipartisan margin of 92 to 2. Earlier this month, the House passed the same bill 407 to 5. The package, which includes Rep. Dold's Lali's Law, will now head to the president's desk to be signed into law.

"Working with the Laliberte family from Buffalo Grove, we wrote and passed Lali's Law to help save lives and spare families from the pain of losing a child," Rep. Dold said. "Passing our bill with overwhelming bipartisan support is a perfect example of what we can achieve when we set aside partisan differences to help families. Together, we've ensured that Alex's lasting legacy includes helping others get a second chance at recovery and saving their families from heartbreak."

On May 12, 2016, Rep. Dold's bipartisan legislation Lali's Law passed the United States House of Representatives, 415 to 4. Because of his leadership on the issue, Rep. Dold was then named to a conference committee to reach a compromise between the senate version of the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act of 2016 and the House version. Rep. Dold secured Lali's Law's inclusion in the final package.

"The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act is a game changer for the millions of Americans struggling with substance use. I am elated that Lali's Law is a part of this incredibly thoughtful and intelligent bill," Alex Laliberte's sister Chelsea Laliberte said. "With the President's signature, change around behavioral health will begin, stigma will reduce, and those impacted can slowly heal from the destruction caused by this epidemic. By making substance use a top priority, Americans will be able to access affordable, evidence-based, individualized care, and states will no longer be dependent on their budgets alone to provide basic public health education and supplies such as naloxone."

Between 2001 and 2014, there was a three-fold increase in prescription drug overdoses and a six-fold increase in heroin overdoses in the United States. Heroin now takes a life every three days in Chicago's collar counties and takes more than one life every day in Cook County.

Lali's Law is named in memory of Alex Laliberte, a Buffalo Grove, Ill. resident and Stevenson High School graduate, who passed away seven years ago from a drug overdose. Laliberte played sports at Stevenson High School, did well in school and cared about his friends and family, but during his sophomore year of college he began being hospitalized for a mysterious illness. Unknown to his family and doctors, Laliberte had an addiction to prescription drugs and was being hospitalized for his withdrawal. He would stay in the hospital until his symptoms subsided only to leave the hospital and repeat the cycle. Laliberte continued this pattern until he died of a heroin and prescription drug overdose a few days before his final exams.

Rep. Dold's bipartisan Lali's Law will increase access to the life-saving antidote naloxone throughout the United States. Naloxone has proven to be hugely successful as a life-saving antidote. When used, naloxone helps restore breathing that has been stopped by an overdose. In Lake County, Ill., 93 lives have been saved with naloxone since a new program developed by the Lake County Opioid Initiative was introduced equipping first responders with the overdose antidote. With increased access, the World Health Organization predicts naloxone could save another 20,000 lives every year.

Rep. Dold is a co-chair of the Suburban Anti-Heroin Task Force and also a member of the Congressional Bipartisan Task Force to Combat the Heroin Epidemic.

Source