Costa votes to Address Mental Health and Opioid Abuse Crises

Press Release

Congressman Jim Costa (CA-16) released the following statement after the House passed H.R. 7666 - Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act of 2022, a bipartisan legislative package that expands access to treatment for opioid-use disorders and reauthorizes 30 critical programs to support mental health, substance-use-disorder prevention, treatment, and recovery.

"The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the opioid crisis and harmed the mental health of millions of Americans," said Costa. "We need to strengthen our healthcare system to protect our communities and help folks recover. This bipartisan legislation will make long-overdue investments to tackle the opioid crisis, improve substance-use disorder prevention, and support Americans' mental health and well-being."

As of 2020, nearly one in five U.S. adults live with a mental illness, totaling 52.9 million (NIMH, 2022). The bipartisan Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act will reauthorize over 30 critical mental health programs under the Health Resources (HRSA) and the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) to assist with mental health, substance use disorders, suicide prevention, and maternal depression. It addresses underage drinking, the opioid epidemic, and overdose prevention, while also improving the quality of recovery housing.

In 2021, there were 107 deaths in Fresno, Madera, and Merced counties combined due to opioid-related overdose deaths. (CDPH, 2022) According to data from the Fresno County Coroner, fentanyl was the cause of the second-highest number of drug overdose deaths at 34.

This bill expands patient access to life-saving evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders by eliminating the X-waiver, which imposes arbitrary limits on providers' ability to prescribe buprenorphine. Also, it eliminates barriers in access to methadone, another evidence-based treatment for opioid use disorders. These barriers can prevent patients from getting timely access to treatment.

Costa is an original co-sponsor of an amendment that requires the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to develop best practices for establishing behavioral intervention teams in educational settings.

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