Indy Standard

U.S. Senators Todd Young, Ed Markey, and Tammy Baldwin have announced the passage of the Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Disease Act by the Senate HELP Committee. This bipartisan legislation aims to extend the CDC's efforts to reduce infectious diseases linked to substance use disorders until 2028. The act is part of the broader SUPPORT Reauthorization Act, which also passed in the committee.

Senator Young emphasized the importance of equipping communities with tools to address addiction and disease: "As the opioid epidemic continues to devastate families in Indiana and across the country, we must ensure our communities have the tools necessary to help combat the spread of addiction and disease. This commonsense legislation will support ongoing initiatives focused on eliminating the spread of deadly diseases associated with this epidemic."

Senators Markey and Baldwin highlighted their commitment to a public health response: "The opioid epidemic has ravaged communities through overdose deaths and the spread of preventable diseases like hepatitis C and HIV. The federal government has a duty to provide a public health response to this public health crisis. The Eliminating Opioid-Related Infectious Disease Act will continue to empower healthcare providers and give them the tools they need to help save lives and prevent the spread of disease."

Back in 2018, these senators successfully pushed for legislation that expanded CDC collaborations with states on education, surveillance, and treatment related to opioid-related infectious diseases such as HIV and hepatitis C.