A federal bill that provides money for addiction treatment and drug prevention has passed its first hurdle. Senators Kelly Ayotte and Jeanne Shaheen co-sponsored the legislation.
The bill calls for additional dollars for a number of areas including treatment for people battling addiction while in prison, drug prevention efforts in schools, and expanding access to the overdose reversal drug Narcan.
On Thursday, the U.S. Senate Judiciary Committee passed the measure by a unanimous vote. But how much of the bill’s $70 million would go to New Hampshire is unknown.
Ayotte and Shaheen testified for the bill last month – stressing that without more dollars local governments will not be able to effectively fight this drug crisis.
It now heads to the Senate floor.
Copyright 2016 New Hampshire Public Radio
