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Congresswoman Suzan DelBene (WA-01) today voted for the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Act (H.R. 5046), which included her amendment scaling-up a successful Washington model to help individuals suffering from substance abuse.

“The opioid crisis is tearing apart families across the country, including in Washington state. This legislation is a good first step in combating the epidemic of addiction, and I’m pleased my amendment was included to expand community-based programs – like Seattle’s Law Enforcement Assisted Diversion (LEAD) – that offer a helping hand rather than jail time for those suffering from substance abuse,” DelBene said. “Instead of arresting and prosecuting low-level drug offenders, we should be supporting successful programs that direct them to the services and help they need — reducing costs and recidivism in our criminal-justice system. However, Congress must continue working to dedicate the resources necessary to fully address this crisis.”

H.R. 5046 passed in a 413-5 vote. Ahead of the vote, DelBene spoke on the House floor about her amendment, which would allow state, local and tribal governments to implement community-based substance use diversion programs sponsored by a law enforcement agency, such as LEAD. Since LEAD started in 2011, criminal recidivism rates have been reduced among participants by as much as 60 percent, according to a University of Washington study.

On Friday, the House is expected to vote to form a conference committee with the Senate to work out differences in the chambers’ approaches to the opioid crisis. The Senate previously passed the Comprehensive Addiction and Recovery Act (S. 524) by a vote of 94-1.

Since 2000, drug overdose deaths have increased by 137 percent, surpassing the number of Americans killed in motor vehicle accidents each year.

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