Washington, D.C. — U.S. Representatives Zach Nunn (IA-03) and Brittany Pettersen (CO-07) introduced bipartisan legislation this week to increase the prevalence and quality of long-term recovery support for individuals with substance use disorders and associated mental health disorders. The bill would bolster the existing Building Communities of Recovery program (BCOR), significantly increasing its ability to fund local community organizations or centers that champion the development, enhancement, expansion, and delivery of recovery support services.
“Too many Americans have a family member, friend, or someone they know who has been addicted to opioids. Communities across the country continue to struggle with how to deal with this epidemic,” said Nunn. “While we must do more to stop the flow of illegal drugs into this country, we also need to help those suffering from addiction now. The Communities of Recovery Reauthorization Actwill enhance support for local community organizations that provide critical resources to people working to recover from addiction.”
“My mom suffered from a prescription opioid addiction after a back injury that eventually led to heroin and fentanyl. After 30 years, she finally got the medical help she desperately needed—but there are far too many who aren’t as lucky,” said Pettersen. “A lack of resources for treatment and recovery for substance use disorders have ravaged communities and families across Colorado and the country. That’s why I’m continuing this fight at the federal level, alongside Congressman Nunn, to enhance the availability and quality of treatment to save lives and offer hope to people who need it the most.”
Full text of the bill can be found here.
Fatal overdoses continue to rise, with more than 106,000 people in the United States dying from drug-involved overdoses in 2021 alone. BCOR is a grant program administered by the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) that provides support to nonprofit recovery community organizations or centers that:
- Offer peer recovery support services designed and delivered by individuals with personal experience in addiction and recovery
- Deliver recovery support services that directly assist individuals and families to recover from alcohol or drug dependency
- Collaborate with current regional and local harm reduction community partner efforts that will encompass harm reduction