Pew Lauds Advancement of Bill Expanding Medication Access for Opioid Use Disorder

Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment Act included in larger mental health bill, will get floor vote

Speeches and Testimony May 27, 2022 Read time:

Projects: Substance Use Prevention and Treatment

On May 27, The Pew Charitable Trusts thanked Representatives Frank Pallone Jr. (D-NJ), chairman of the U.S. House of Representatives’ Energy and Commerce Committee, and Cathy McMorris Rodgers (R-WA), the committee’s ranking member, for their leadership in passing the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act.

The MAT Act will eliminate outdated restrictions on buprenorphine, a medication highly effective in opioid use disorder treatment, and is key to addressing the opioid overdose crisis exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The bill is now part of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act and awaits a full floor vote in the House.