May 19, 2022
On May 18th, the U.S. House Energy and Commerce Committee voted to approve an amendment to the Mainstreaming Addiction Treatment (MAT) Act, to remove the buprenorphine X-Waiver, and to move the MAT Act out of committee. The Committee, Chaired by Representative Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ), voted 45 in favor of the amendment and 10 opposed, with a majority of both Democrats and Republicans on the committee voting in favor.
Committee Chair Frank Pallone stated before the vote in his opening remarks, "We'll turn to the consideration of the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, which I introduced with Ranking Member [Cathy McMorris] Rodgers [R-WA]. This is a comprehensive bipartisan package that includes provisions from members of the Committee on both sides of the aisle. It reauthorizes more than 30 programs that aim to help Americans in need-providing access to critical mental health and substance use disorder support and care . . . We will consider two amendments to the mental health package that represent months of bipartisan negotiation on two important bills, the MAT Act and the MATE [Medication Access and Training Expansion] Act . . . Together, these policies will increase access to medication-assisted treatment for opioid use disorder and substance use disorder treatment, as well as help address some of the stigma associated with addiction."
With the subsequent passage of the MAT Act amendment, it will now be included in the Restoring Hope for Mental Health and Well-Being Act, a full mental health package that is expected to come to a House floor for a vote in June.
Click here to read more on this story, and click here to read Representative Pallone's opening remarks.
