New Hampshire Congressional Delegation Secures More Than $29 Million in Critical Funding to Tackle Substance Use Disorder Crisis
(Washington, DC) – U.S. Senators Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), a senior member of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Labor-Health and Human Services (L-HHS) Subcommittee, and Maggie Hassan (D-NH), a member of the U.S. Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, alongside U.S. Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) celebrated $29,890,890 in State Opioid Response (SOR) grants heading to New Hampshire to help address the substance use disorder (SUD) crisis. Shaheen and Hassan fought to secure this funding in the government funding legislation for fiscal year (FY) 2024 that was signed into law. Increased funding follows passage of Shaheen-led legislation, the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act, which increased funding and provided critical flexibilities for states administering SOR spending.
“One life lost to the substance misuse epidemic is one too many, and that’s why I’m glad to see this critical funding heading to the Granite State organizations that are on the frontlines of addressing this crisis in our communities,” said Senator Shaheen. “As an appropriator, I’ll keep fighting to ensure New Hampshire receives the resources it needs to address the substance use disorder crisis on all fronts.”
“As New Hampshire continues to combat the fentanyl crisis, this federal funding is essential to continuing addiction prevention, treatment, and recovery efforts,” said Senator Hassan. “The recent drop in overdose fatalities gives us hope – and underscores the importance of investing in evidence-based solutions. I will keep working to get communities in New Hampshire the tools that they need to help fight this epidemic in every way that we can.”
“Far too many communities and families across New Hampshire have been impacted by substance use disorder—this crisis calls for an all-hands-on-deck response,” said Congresswoman Kuster. “At a time when overdose deaths are finally falling, it’s essential we keep our foot on the gas pedal and harness this momentum. These resources made available through the State Opioid Response (SOR) program will go a long way in expanding access to the treatment and recovery services New Hampshire needs to tackle this epidemic and save lives.”
“The opioid and addiction epidemic continues to impact families in New Hampshire and across the country. We must continue to build and invest in a multi-pronged approach, from combating drug traffickers to improving access to prevention, treatment, and recovery services,” said Congressman Pappas. “These grants will help provide critical resources and services to those suffering from addiction and support prevention efforts. I’ll keep working across the aisle to take comprehensive action and support first responders and health providers on the frontlines of this fight.”
The SOR program is pivotal in providing communities and states with the federal resources necessary to combat the substance use disorder epidemic. Shaheen and Hassan have led efforts in Congress to combat the substance use disorder epidemic, both through Shaheen’s leadership on the L-HHS Appropriations Subcommittee and Hassan’s position on the Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee. In recent years, Shaheen and Hassan successfully pushed the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) to maintain SOR funding levels for New Hampshire and avoid significant cliffs in funding year-over-year. Shaheen and Hassan's efforts have led to a more than tenfold increase in federal treatment and prevention funding for New Hampshire.
In 2022, Shaheen helped introduce the State Opioid Response Grant Authorization Act to give local communities resources to better combat the opioid and substance use disorder epidemic. The legislation, passed as part of the FY2023 government funding package, improved SOR grants by providing additional investments in and flexibility for states and local communities, to include authorizing its use to combat stimulant misuse and use disorders, including cocaine and methamphetamine. The bill authorized $1.75 billion annually in SOR grants. The authorization also included language to ensure states do not face significant funding cliffs between cycles.
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