WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senator Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.), a member of the Senate Appropriations Committee, today announced that the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) has awarded a total of $35,384,899 to West Virginia to combat the opioid epidemic. President Donald Trump also announced these grants at the White House this afternoon.
The first grant for $28,027,511 was awarded through the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration (SAMHSA) as part of its State Opioid Response grants. Because of language Senator Capito authored to prioritize states hit hardest by the opioid epidemic, West Virginia is eligible for a larger portion of funding than the state would have been eligible for had she not secured that language. This funding is a direct result of this language. In March, Senator Capito announced the first round of funds for this program, which amounted to $14,630,361.
The second grant for $7,357,388 was awarded by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) as part of a three-year cooperative agreement known as the Overdose Data to Action (OD2A). The purpose of the program is to advance the understanding of the opioid epidemic and improve prevention and response efforts.
“Federal funding like this plays an important role in contributing to the fight to end the drug epidemic that is devastating so many families and communities across West Virginia,” Senator Capito said. “I helped change the state grant formula in the Labor-HHS government funding bill, and the benefits of that change are evident today with the distribution of this second round of resources. Making sure these funds are available is one of my top priorities as a member of the Appropriations Committee, but it’s even more important to me that these funds are going to states like ours with the greatest needs. That’s exactly what my changes to the state grant formula make possible. I am glad to see this critical funding come to our state and will continue to advocate for these much-needed resources.”
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