Congress Approves Landmark Health Bill with Key Ayotte Provisions

Statement

Today, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte welcomed Senate passage of the 21st Century Cures Act, which overwhelmingly passed the House of Representatives last week. Ayotte was instrumental in securing $1 billion in the bill to bolster the response to the prescription opioid abuse and heroin epidemic. The bill also includes several measures that Ayotte pushed to strengthen mental health services and improve treatment and diagnosis of Lyme disease. The bill now goes to the president to be signed into law.

"I am proud this bill calls for the funding I fought for to address the opioid crisis and I am grateful my colleagues have recognized the seriousness of the opioid epidemic facing New Hampshire and our country by overwhelmingly approving and sending this legislation to the president's desk," said Ayotte. "I am also pleased that this legislation includes measures that I have introduced and pushed for during my time in the Senate, including provisions that will increase access to mental health awareness and training grants; enhance enforcement and implementation of mental health and substance use disorder insurance coverage requirements, including for eating disorders; improve prevention, treatment, and diagnosis of Lyme disease; enhance screening and treatment for postpartum depression; and encourage greater investments in finding treatments for terrible diseases like Alzheimer's disease."

Last week, Ayotte welcomed the announcement that the 21st Century Cures Act calls for $1 billion to address opioid abuse-funding for which she has consistently pushed. In the Senate, Ayotte has been a strong advocate for increased funding to better assist states in the fight against the opioid abuse crisis, including co-authoring and introducing the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act, and consistently supporting emergency funding for opioid abuse prevention, treatment, and recovery programs. Ayotte has also led a number of initiatives to help strengthen our nation's mental health system.

In addition to providing more funding to combat the opioid abuse crisis, the 21st Century Cures Act will enact a number of mental health reforms and work to streamline the Food and Drug Administration's approval processes for new drugs and devices. The bill will also provide funding to research and develop cures for a variety of diseases, including cancer and Alzheimer's disease.

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