Griffith Votes to Support Opioid Legislation   Washington, DC (Sept. 28, 2018) - Congressman Morgan Griffith (R-VA) today issued the following statement after voting to support an amended version of H.R. 6, the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act, which will soon go to President Trump’s desk: “The opioid crisis is the most urgent health crisis of our time, as many residents of the Ninth District know from painful personal experience. Acting to alleviate it has been a priority of the House of Representatives as well as of mine. “Today, the House voted to advance a major legislative package addressing the opioid epidemic. It is a bipartisan bill that takes a comprehensive approach to the crisis. It will help treat addiction, gather data, battle illegal substances, develop non-addictive painkillers, and in numerous other facets. “This bill will be helpful for medical professionals, public health officials, counselors, law enforcement officers, and all who are working in our communities to solve this grave problem. I support the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act and look forward to its enactment very soon.â€� Background The SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Act is the result of a bipartisan agreement between the House of Representatives and the Senate. It is a final product of months of legislative work, including dozens of bills passed by the House Energy and Commerce Committee and the House of Representatives. It includes two bills introduced by Congressman Griffith and previously passed by the House: H.R. 5812, the Creating Opportunities that Necessitate New and Enhanced Connections That Improve Opioid Navigation Strategies (CONNECTIONS) Act, which improves federal support for state Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs) and provides for enhanced collection of substance abuse data. H.R. 5801, the Medicaid Providers Are Required To Note Experiences in Record Systems to Help In-need Patients (PARTNERSHIP) Act, which incorporates PDMP data into the clinical workflow of Medicaid providers.

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