NH Delegation Welcomes More Than $28M to Combat Opioid Crisis Through SOR Grant Funding | U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen of New Hampshire

Might 19, 2022

**Annual Opioid Response Funding Stage for NH is Almost $400K Increased than Final Yr Due to Shaheen & Hassan’s Efforts Amid Threats of Funding Cliffs** 

(Washington, DC) – At the moment, U.S. Senator Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH) – Chair of the Commerce, Justice, Science and Associated Companies (CJS) Appropriations Subcommittee – and Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) – member of the Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions Committee – alongside Representatives Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Chris Pappas (NH-01) welcomed $28,505,671 from the Substance Use and Psychological Well being Companies Administration’s State Opioid Response (SOR) grant program to assist the Granite State reply to the opioid disaster.  

This funding comes from the fiscal yr (FY) 2022 authorities funding invoice that was signed into legislation in March. Senator Shaheen efficiently secured $1.5 billion in SOR grant funding throughout the nation, in addition to the continuation of a 15 % set-aside for hardest-hit states. This yr, Shaheen and Hassan efficiently pushed the Division of Well being and Human Companies (HHS) to keep up SOR funding ranges for New Hampshire and keep away from important cliffs in funding year-over-year.   

“New Hampshire households have been intimately and severely impacted by the substance use dysfunction disaster, which has gotten worse by the pandemic. For years, SOR grants have supplied vital assets for New Hampshire to answer this disaster and ship remedies to Granite Staters in want. That’s why yearly, I struggle tooth and nail to make sure our state will get its justifiable share of {dollars} – that was very true this yr as I fought the specter of funding cliffs to New Hampshire,” mentioned Senator Shaheen. “I’m happy the Biden administration heeded my calls to keep away from dramatic funding cliffs, as a result of these {dollars} are wanted now greater than ever. We should proceed to make use of each device at our disposal to scale back charges of substance use to assist our communities turn into entire once more.”    

“The substance misuse epidemic has ravaged households and communities throughout our state, and I’ve introduced the heartbreaking tales of Granite Staters to Congress as a way to safe assets to assist flip the tide of this epidemic. The State Opioid Response grant program has helped to broaden substance misuse prevention and remedy providers in New Hampshire,” mentioned Senator Hassan. “I fought to avert a funding cliff that our state may have skilled, and I’m proud to announce that New Hampshire will proceed to get strong funding by the State Opioid Response grant program. I’ll hold working to make sure that we keep laser-focused on getting Granite State communities the assets that we have to proceed combating the substance misuse epidemic.”

“New Hampshire is all too aware of the devastating penalties of the substance misuse epidemic,” mentioned Consultant Kuster, founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Dependancy and Psychological Well being Job Power. “That’s why I’ve been working with native leaders and throughout the aisle in Congress to advance evidence-based insurance policies and broaden entry to remedy and restoration providers to make sure these battling habit and psychological well being get the assist they want. I’m inspired to see New Hampshire proceed to obtain sturdy funding from the State Opioid Response (SOR) program and I’ll proceed working to show the tide on this epidemic.” 

“No New Hampshire household has been untouched by substance misuse and habit. Regardless of the progress we have now made, we should do extra for these struggling to search out assist and assist alongside the troublesome street to restoration,” mentioned Consultant Chris Pappas. “This very important funding will save lives and permit these affected by habit to get the assistance they want. I’ll hold combating to ship vital funds and assets to our state to make sure first responders, well being suppliers, and our family members have the instruments they should finish the substance use dysfunction disaster.”

Shaheen and Hassan have led efforts in Congress to fight the substance use dysfunction epidemic, each by Shaheen’s management on the CJS appropriations subcommittee and Hassan’s place on the Well being, Schooling, Labor, and Pensions Committee. During the last 5 years, New Hampshire has acquired greater than $140 million from SOR grants that Shaheen and Hassan have secured to fight the opioid epidemic within the state, with the hardest-hit state set-aside accountable for almost all of these funds. The FY2022 funding invoice that Shaheen helped write continues to supply flexibility provisions that she authored to permit for SOR grant {dollars} for use to assist remedy and restoration for cocaine and methamphetamine use, along with opioid use. Shaheen and Hassan led efforts this yr to stop a steep cliff in SOR funding, securing a dedication to guard New Hampshire funding from Well being and Human Companies Secretary Becerra. Shaheen and Hassan’s efforts have led to a greater than tenfold improve in federal remedy and prevention funding for New Hampshire.  

###