**The House of Representatives is expected to vote on this legislation later today**

Washington, D.C. – Congresswoman Annie Kuster (NH-02), founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder Task Force, secured critical priorities to respond to the addiction and overdose crisis in a bipartisan agreement to fund the government. Her legislation, the Support for Patients and Communities Reauthorization (SUPPORT) Act, is a landmark bill to update Congress’s response to the complicated challenges of mental health and substance use disorder and empower communities to respond to this epidemic. Senator Maggie Hassan (D-NH) is a key advocate for this legislation in the Senate.

“I’m pleased to see critical provisions from my legislation, the SUPPORT Act, be included in the government funding agreement to address the addiction and mental health crisis across the country,” said Kuster. “While this is a step in the right direction, there is more work to be done. I will keep pushing to ensure all of the life-saving programs in the SUPPORT Act are reauthorized to respond to the complicated challenges of mental health and substance use disorder with a united front.”

The FY24 Government Funding Agreement includes several SUPPORT Act provisions, including: 

• A requirement for state Medicaid plans to provide coverage for medication-assisted treatment;
• A permanent state option to provide substance use disorder services for individuals with Medicaid coverage who reside in Institutions for Mental Diseases (IMD);
• A prohibition on terminating an individual’s Medicaid coverage while incarcerated; and
• New grants to states to develop operational capabilities to promote continuity of care for incarcerated individuals eligible for Medicaid or CHIP. 

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