US House Passes Rep. Krishnamoorthi’s Amendment Requiring Department of Defense to Report on Plans to Treat and Prevent Opioid Use Among Families of Servicemembers

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Yesterday, the US House passed an amendment to the National Defense Authorization Act introduced by Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi which would require the Department of Defense to inform Congress of its plan to treat and prevent opioid use among dependents of Department of Defense personnel. Once completed, the report would be shared with all on-base medical facilities to expand awareness of available intervention and treatment resources.

"Combatting the opioid epidemic means expanding prevention measures and treatment to more Americans and ensuring more people are aware of available resources for prevention and recovery," said Congressman Raja Krishnamoorthi. "It's essential that we ensure that the families of those who defend our nation have the support they need to recover from opioid addiction or to avoid it from the outset. By assessing and evaluating Department of Defense resources for the dependents of military personnel, we can identify available resources in this effort, expand awareness of both prevention and treatment options, and identify best practices for our military and civilian health care systems."