Energy and Commerce Committee Chairman Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) and Health Subcommittee Chairwoman Anna G. Eshoo (D-CA) released the following joint statement after the House of Representatives passed three health bills:
“With passage of these three bills, Congress is continuing its work to support the health and well-being of the American people by investing in our nation’s public health infrastructure. Together, these bills will provide resources to fund our nation’s public health and biomedical research, combat the ongoing substance use disorder epidemic, and bolster suicide prevention programs. We’re proud of the hard work on both sides of the aisle to pass these bills and look forward to seeing them signed into law.”
The House of Representatives passed the following three bills:
S. 854, the “Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021,” would designate methamphetamine as an emerging drug threat (a new and growing trend in the use of an illicit drug or class of drug). It also directs the Office of National Drug Control Policy to implement a methamphetamine response plan. House companion bill H.R. 2051, introduced by Reps. Peters and John Curtis (R-UT), advanced out of the Energy and Commerce Committee by a voice vote at a full Committee markup on July 21, 2021. The Senate bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
S. 1543, the “Suicide Training and Awareness Nationally Delivered for Universal Prevention Act of 2021” or the “STANDUP Act of 2021,” would require state, tribal, and local educational agencies that receive grant funding for priority mental-health needs to establish and implement evidence-based suicide awareness and prevention training policies. In addition, the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA), in coordination with the Department of Education and Bureau of Indian Education, would provide educational agencies with best practices for these trainings. House companion bill H.R. 586, introduced by Rep. Scott Peters (D-CA) and 14 other original cosponsors, passed in the House on May 13, 2021. The Senate bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
S. 1662, the “Supporting the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for the Food and Drug Administration Act,” would authorize the National Institutes of Health (NIH) and the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) to increase transfer authority for funding to their supporting foundations, the Foundation for the National Institutes of Health (FNIH) and the Reagan-Udall Foundation for FDA. House companion bill H.R. 3743, introduced by Reps. Eshoo and Richard Hudson (R-NC), passed in the House on December 8, 2021. The Senate bill passed on the House Floor by voice vote.
