The coming weeks will be very busy on Capitol Hill, and could bring some promising news for the millions of Americans affected by addiction.

Several bills focused on substance use disorders have been introduced so far this year, and now committee hearings will explore some of these key policy ideas further.

The action kicks off this Wednesday, April 11, with important hearings in both the House and the Senate.

• At 10:00 am EST, the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions (HELP) Committee, chaired by Senator Lamar Alexander, will hold a hearing to discuss new bipartisan legislation introduced last week. If this act moves forward, it would encourage responsible prescribing behavior, provide support for states to improve their Prescription Drug Monitoring Programs (PDMPs), and expand access to medication-assisted treatment (MAT).
• At 2:15 pm EST, the House Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Representative Greg Walden, will begin a two-day hearing to discuss improvements to the ways Medicare and Medicaid help care for patients with substance use disorders. Thursday's panel will feature witness statements from members of Shatterproof's Treatment Task Force, including former drug czar Michael Botticelli and representatives from Magellan Health and Centene Corporation. You can read the hearing memo here. 

You can count on Shatterproof to keep you informed, and to seize opportunities to make your voices, stories, and ideas heard by Congress. We’ll be watching and sharing news from the committee hearings on Wednesday and Thursday—stay tuned to our Twitter feed for the latest updates.