News

Washington, D.C. – The U.S. Senate passed the Opioid Crisis Response Act of 2018, which includes provisions authored by U.S. Senator Marco Rubio (R-FL) to prevent and treat opioid addiction.

“As the opioid crisis continues to wreak havoc across our state and nation, I’m committed to ensuring that those dealing with opioid addiction in Florida and throughout the country receive the support and care they need,” Rubio said. “I’m pleased that this bill includes critical provisions to ensure that we have the tools necessary to care for newborn babies suffering from opioid withdrawal, to prevent unused drugs from ending up in the wrong hands, and to target disreputable sober homes and ensure wrongdoers are punished.”

Rubio-championed provisions:

• Legislation to improve the quality of care provided to newborn babies suffering from opioid withdrawal by providing states additional funding to research babies born with Neonatal Abstinence Syndrome (NAS).
• The Hospice Safe Drug Disposal Act, legislation to allow hospice providers to safely dispose of unused opioids so they do not end up in the wrong hands. 
• The Sober Home Fraud Detection Act, legislation to help states, law enforcement, private insurers and patients identify potentially illicit sober homes to ensure those who need treatment are able to do so from legitimate facilities while also preventing health care fraud.
• The Synthetics Trafficking & Overdose Prevention (STOP) Act, legislation to interdict fentanyl, synthetic opioids, and other narcotics by requiring international shipments though the U.S. Postal Service to provide advance information on where the shipment is coming from, where it is going, and its contents, and to instruct U.S. Postal Service and Customs and Border Protection to develop technology to identify fentanyl and illicit opioids entering the United States by mail.

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