WASHINGTON, D.C. – U.S. Senators Shelley Moore Capito (R-W.Va.) and Sherrod Brown (D-Ohio) secured a provision in a bipartisan senate package, the Opioid Crisis Response Act, to address the workforce shortage created by the addiction crisis. The provision is based on legislation the Senators introduced earlier this month called the Collectively Achieving Recovery and Employment (CARE) Act. The bipartisan package is expected to pass out of the Senate Health, Education, Labor, and Pensions (HELP) Committee tomorrow.
“We must fight this terrible opioid epidemic from all fronts, and that includes helping those who have struggled with addiction successfully rejoin the workforce,” Senator Capito said. “I was glad to work with Senator Brown on securing this provision in the Opioid Crisis Response Act, which will provide the support needed to help those who have struggled with addiction get back on their feet, as well as fill other important workforce needs in West Virginia and across the country.”
“Any comprehensive approach to tackling the opioid epidemic must address the workforce shortage created by the crisis,” Senator Brown said. “Sen. Capito and I will continue working together to advance and build on this important provision to help both Ohio businesses and individuals in recovery.”
The Opioid Crisis Response Act is a wide-ranging, bipartisan package aimed at stemming the tide of the nationwide opioid crisis. The bill includes a provision based on Senators Brown and Capito’s CARE Act that targets federal workforce training grants to address the workforce shortages and skill gaps caused by the opioid epidemic.
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