{"database": "press", "table": "releases", "rows": [["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-leads-on-efforts-to-address-drug-abuse-crisis", "Brooks Leads on Efforts to Address Drug Abuse Crisis", "2015-10-08", "2015", "2015-10", "Republican", "House", "IN", "Susan Brooks", "B001284", "susanwbrooks.house.gov", null, null, "legacy", "WASHINGTON, D.C. Today, legislation introduced by Congresswoman Susan W. Brooks (R-IN5) and Congressman Joseph Kennedy (D-MA7) to improve education, awareness and enforcement programs and address the growing heroin and drug abuse epidemic in the United States was reviewed in the House Energy and Commerce Committee, Subcommittee on Health. Forty-five Americans die every day due to prescription drug abuse while the number of heroin related deaths in the United States has continued to increase dramatically.\nA number of legislative proposals seeking to address the growing threat of drug abuse faced by communities across the country were reviewed by the Subcommittee, including H.R. 2805, the Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse and Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015, introduced by Representatives Brooks and Kennedy on June 17, 2015.\nThe heroin epidemic is making headlines nationwide, and Ive heard from countless Hoosiers about the very personal and tragic impacts that this epidemic is having on families and communities in Indiana, Brooks said. Prescribing physicians, pharmacists, first responders, law enforcement officials, and most importantly family members of addicts are working in our communities each day to fight back against this epidemic, and we must ensure that they have the best guidance, support and resources to be successful. Im thankful to my colleagues who participated in todays hearing, and look forward to working with them in the coming weeks to advocate for consideration and passage of these timely solutions to this growing crisis.\nCompanion legislation was introduced in the United States Senate by Senators Joe Donnelly (D-IN) and Kelly Ayotte (R-NH). More information about that legislation is available here.\nHighlights of H.R. 2805, The Heroin and Prescription Opioid Abuse Prevention, Education, and Enforcement Act of 2015:\n-Establishes an inter-agency taskforce to develop best practices for pain management and prescription pain medication prescribing practices. The taskforce will be composed of representatives from the Department of Health and Human Services, Department of Veteran Affairs, Department of Defense, Drug Enforcement Administration and Office of National Drug Control Policy. It will be required to report its progress to Congress no later than 270 days after its formation.\n-Reauthorizes the National All Schedules Prescription Electronic Reporting (NASPER) Reauthorization Act. The bill contains the text of Representative Whitfield (R-KY1) and Kennedys reauthorization bill (H.R. 1725) which provides grants to states for the establishment, implementation, and improvement of prescription drug monitoring programs (PDMPs) so that providers can access for the early identification of patients at risk for addiction in order to initiate appropriate interventions.\n-Creates a Naloxone Demonstration Grant Program increasing the preparedness of local first responders to administer Naloxone to overdose patients. The World Health Organization estimates that 20,000 deaths may be preventable in the U.S. every year through wider dissemination of Naloxone.\n-Directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy to establish a national drug awareness campaign that focuses attention on the link between prescription drug abuse and heroin use.\n-Reauthorizes the Edward Byrne Justice Assistance Program, which funds law enforcement programs, prosecution and court programs, prevention programs, drug treatment programs and technology improvement programs.", 1, "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z", "2026-03-30T12:14:52Z"]], "columns": ["url", "title", "date", "year", "month", "party", "chamber", "state", "member_name", "bioguide_id", "domain", "scraper", "source", "date_source", "text", "has_text", "collected_at", "updated_at"], "primary_keys": ["url"], "primary_key_values": ["http://susanwbrooks.house.gov/media-center/press-releases/brooks-leads-on-efforts-to-address-drug-abuse-crisis"], "units": {}, "query_ms": 1.8607168458402157, "source": "dwillis/congress-press", "source_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press", "license": "MIT", "license_url": "https://github.com/dwillis/congress-press/blob/main/LICENSE"}