WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Angus King has introduced bipartisan legislation to combat the opioid epidemic plaguing Maine communities, as drug overdoses have taken 268 lives in Maine through June. The bipartisan Life Budgeting for Opioid Addiction Treatment (LifeBOAT) Act would establish a 1-cent stewardship fee on each milligram of active opioid ingredient in a prescription pain pill to provide and expand access to substance use treatment through the existing Substance Use Prevention, Treatment, and Recovery Services Block Grant (formerly Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant).

The bill also includes a rebate for cancer-related pain, hospice patients, and an exemption for opioids used as part of medically assisted treatment.

“We are losing too many loved ones to the opioid epidemic, leaving families and communities suffering in their absence. It’s time for a different approach,” said Senator King. “We know that treatment can help our friends and neighbors who are struggling with substance use disorders enter recovery– but there simply aren’t enough resources to provide the appropriate treatment.  This legislation can change that, using the source of the problem to help fund a solution. This bill will make critical investments in our nation’s treatment facilities, allowing us to open up more beds, hire more treatment professionals, and take a long-overdue step to save lives.”

Funding gained through the LifeBOAT Act would be used to improve access to substance use disorder treatment, including but not limited to:

• Establishing new treatment facilities, residential and outpatient.
• Recruiting, training, and/or increasing reimbursement for mental health providers providing substance use disorder treatment, particularly in medically underserved or rural communities.
• Expanding access to long-term, residential treatment programs.
• Establishing and/or operating support programs that offer employment services, housing, and other support services to help those recovering transition back into society.
• Establishing and/or operating facilities to provide care for babies born with neonatal abstinence syndrome.
• Establishing and/or operating substance use treatment programs in conjunction with Adult and Family Treatment Drug Courts.

The legislation is cosponsored by Senators Joe Manchin (D-WV), Mitt Romney (R-UT), Richard Blumenthal (D-CT), Elizabeth Warren (D-MA), Tina Smith (D-MN), Jeanne Shaheen (D-NH), Amy Klobuchar (D-MN), Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and Tammy Baldwin (D-WI).

Senator King has made combating the opioid crisis one of his highest priorities in Washington. In the 2023 National Defense Authorization Act, King secured significant investments to improve drug shipment interdiction, an area where he has long called for more resources. In the Fiscal Year 2022 budget, he secured new federal investments in our nation’s response to the ongoing opioid and substance use disorder (SUD) epidemic. He also secured nearly $1 million for SUD treatment for Maine through the American Rescue Plan.

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