Whitehouse’s CARA law guides the federal response to the opioid addiction crisis
Washington, DC – U.S. Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) cheered the Senate passage of the SUPPORT for Patients and Communities Reauthorization Act, which renewed provisions from his bipartisan Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA). The legislation now heads to the President’s desk to be signed into law.
“The reauthorization of the SUPPORT Act reaffirms our bipartisan commitment in Congress for supporting people from all walks of life who are battling addiction,” said Whitehouse, a senior member of the Senate Judiciary Committee and a former Rhode Island Attorney General and U.S. Attorney. “I’m very proud that my CARA law continues to provide resources for Rhode Islanders who have been touched by addiction. I’ll continue working with my colleagues from both sides of the aisle to make the road to recovery a little easier for all those on that long, noble path.”
“Providence has felt the impacts of the opioid overdose epidemic more deeply than many other communities across Rhode Island,”said Mayor Brett P. Smiley. “That’s why we’re committed to expanding access to treatment and recovery resources and supporting our neighbors on the path to recovery. My administration is working across departments and with local, state and federal partners to address both the immediate and long-term needs of our neighbors. The reauthorization of key CARA provisions is an important step in maintaining funding for programs that help people living with substance use disorders, and I want to thank Senator Whitehouse for his leadership and continued work on this issue.”
“Senator Whitehouse has worked with untiring diligence to preserve our planet, our democracy and our access to life saving healthcare. The Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act is an example of his deep commitment to this in addressing the opioid overdose death epidemic,” said Linda Hurley, President and CEO of CODAC Behavioral Healthcare. “Although great progress has been made, CODAC and other providers of care, continue to need this ongoing support to assist Rhode Islanders in healing from these treacherous diseases.”
The SUPPORT Act reauthorizes key CARA provisions, including:
- Residential Treatment for Pregnant and Postpartum Women grant program;
- Building Communities of Recovery (BCOR) grants, designed to mobilize and connect community resources and supports for people in recovery; and
- First Responders Training program, which trains emergency personnel in overdose reversal.
For years, Whitehouse has led the charge in Congress to fight the national opioid addiction crisis. CARA, signed into law in 2016, ensures that federal resources are devoted to evidence-based education, treatment and recovery programs that work. Several key provisions of CARA 2.0 were enacted as part of the SUPPORT Act in 2018. In July, Whitehouse and Senator Grassley introducedbipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Use Program, which is part of CARA.
In Rhode Island, deaths from accidental overdoses decreased by over 18 percent last year, from 404 in 2023 to 329 in 2024, according to the Governor’s Overdose Task Force.
