Summary
The House and Senate have passed the conference agreement to the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (CARA), sending it to the president for signature. The bill addresses prescription drug and heroin abuse, focusing on prevention, education, treatment, and recovery. It creates new state and local grants, reauthorizes existing programs, adds new grant accountability provisions, addresses opioid abuse among veterans, modifies prescribing practices, and expands treatment options.
This Issue Brief describes the agreement, and provides an inventory of grants included in the bill.