Hawkeye Reporter

Senate Judiciary Committee Chairman Chuck Grassley (R-Iowa) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) have introduced a bipartisan bill to reauthorize the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program (COSSUP). This program was originally created in 2016 through the Grassley-Whitehouse Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA).

COSSUP provides resources for law enforcement, first responders, family courts, and drug courts to help people affected by substance use disorder. Between 2021 and 2022, the program enabled over 94,000 individuals to enroll in recovery-support services. More than 32,000 people entered substance-use treatment programs during that period, and 59,000 received training on Naloxone use.

“The fight to end addiction requires a comprehensive and community-wide approach. That’s why I’m working to reauthorize the life-saving Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant and Substance Use Program, which addresses the opioid epidemic on multiple fronts,” Grassley said. “By equipping our communities with effective drug prevention and recovery resources, Congress can ensure Iowans in addiction-recovery will have the support they need to succeed.”

“Support for people battling addiction is a bipartisan priority in Congress, and there’s more to be done to build on our CARA law and support all those on the long, noble path to recovery,” Whitehouse said. “I’m partnering with Senator Grassley to push for the reauthorization of this grant program, which marks another step in the fight against an epidemic that has taken a heartbreaking toll on Rhode Islanders from all walks of life.”

The legislation has backing from 77 organizations focused on law enforcement and substance abuse prevention.