After their strong advocacy for increased funding, Congresswomen Annie Kuster (NH-02) and Carol Shea-Porter (NH-01) today announced that the Granite State is gaining a significant increase in funding for treatment services. New Hampshire will receive $22.9 million for the remainder of this fiscal year through the SAMHSA State Opioid Response Grant Program.

Congresswomen Kuster and Shea-Porter led efforts to change the SAMHSA funding formula so that states like New Hampshire, with small populations and high drug death rates, are not put at a disadvantage. Because of Kuster and Shea-Porter's efforts, and the rest of the New Hampshire delegation, SAMSHA has changed the funding formula and limited the number of states that can receive the set-aside for the hardest hit states. Kuster and Shea-Porter strongly supported creating a set-aside for states like New Hampshire that are on the frontlines of this crisis. SAMHSA has agreed to change this funding formula and also limit the number of states eligible for the set-aside funds to a targeted list of states, agreeing to a proposal from the New Hampshire congressional delegation.

"To date federal funding to combat the opioid epidemic has not reflected the scope of the crisis in the Granite State," said Congresswoman Kuster, the founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Heroin and Opioid Task Force. "This increased funding that our delegation has fought for will enable those on the front lines of the crisis to strengthen their critical work that continues to save lives every day. But our job is not done and I will continue to advocate strongly for the funding and policy changes that will help us end this crisis."

“We have known for a long time that New Hampshire has needed a significant increase in federal funding,” said Shea-Porter. “I am pleased that the Granite State will now receive a much larger share of the resources that we so desperately need to turn the tide in this deadly crisis that is devastating communities across our state and the nation. I am grateful that our New Hampshire delegation’s hard work secured this increase. We will still need more funding, but now we are moving in the right direction. I will continue working with Congresswoman Kuster, and the rest of the delegation, to ensure New Hampshire receives the federal support we need.”

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