**Both bills advanced today are included in the 2021 Legislative Agenda of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, which Kuster founded and co-chairs**

Washington, D.C. — Today, Rep. Annie Kuster (NH-02), founder and co-chair of the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force, voted to advance two bipartisan bills that were included in the Task Force’s 2021 Legislative Agenda. H.R. 586 (S.1543), the STANDUP Act of 2021, is bipartisan legislation, introduced in the Senate by Maggie Hassan (D-NH) and co-sponsored by Rep. Kuster, to address rising youth suicide rates in America. H.R. 2051 (S. 854), the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021, is bipartisan legislation to address the rising use of methamphetamine.

“I founded the Bipartisan Addiction and Mental Health Task Force to create a united front to address the growing addiction and mental health crises in our country. Today, the House of Representatives sent two of the Task Force’s bills to the President’s desk,” said Rep. Kuster. “From addressing youth suicide rates to ensuring our government takes on methamphetamine use, today, Congress took concrete steps to save lives. I urge President Biden to sign these bills into law quickly and to continue working with both parties to address this epidemic once and for all.”

H.R. 586 (S.1543), the STANDUP Act of 2021, will:

• Require states, schools, and Tribes to implement proven policies to prevent suicides in order to receive Project AWARE grants, which promote youth mental health awareness among schools and communities. These policies are vital in stopping school violence by encouraging early prevention, teaching warning signs, and giving students, teachers, and administrators the tools they need to react properly to threats before tragedy occurs.

H.R. 2051 (S. 854), the Methamphetamine Response Act of 2021, will:

• Declares methamphetamine an emerging drug threat, as defined in section 702 of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998. The bill also will require ONDCP to develop, implement and make public, within 90 days of enactment, a national emerging threats response plan that is specific to methamphetamine, in accordance with section 709(d) of the Office of National Drug Control Policy Reauthorization Act of 1998.

Last year, the co-chairs of the Task Force announced the 2021 Legislative Agenda, a comprehensive package of bipartisan bills that outlines ongoing bipartisan efforts in Congress to address the dual addiction and mental health crises that have been exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic. The Task Force hosts regular meetings with stakeholders, attends site visits, and creates and advances commonsense, evidence-based, and bipartisan policies that will save lives.

###