President Signs Landmark Health Bill with Key Ayotte Provisions

Press Release

Today, U.S. Senator Kelly Ayotte announced that President Obama has signed into law the 21st Century Cures Act. 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.

"With President Obama's signature, this important legislation will now provide much-needed assistance in the fight against the devastating opioid abuse epidemic facing New Hampshire and our country," said Ayotte. "I have been proud to work during my time in the Senate on many of the initiatives included in this bill and am glad to see them signed into law, 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."

Recently, 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 implement 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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