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Goodlatte Statement at Markup of the "Opioid Program Evaluation Act"

April 27, 2016
Chairman Goodlatte: H.R. 5052 is a bill that will require an evaluation of the Comprehensive Opioid Abuse Reduction Grant Program authorized by H.R. 5046 and a number of complementary bills authorizing grants to address opioid abuse that have been marked up by the House Energy and Commerce Committee. This is a bipartisan bill sponsored by Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy and Minority Whip Steny Hoyer. The Opioid Program Evaluation Act, or “OPEN Act,” requires the Attorney General and Secretary of Health and Human Services to enter into an arrangement with the National Academy of Sciences to—
  • identify outcomes that are to be achieved by the activities funded by Congress to address opioid abuse;
  • develop the metrics by which each program’s performance will be evaluated;
  • complete an interim evaluation assessing the nature and extent of opioid abuse and illegal opioid distribution in the United State; and
  • carry out an evaluation of the effectiveness of the programs.
Additionally, to increase transparency and facilitate the evaluation of the performance of the programs, the bill requires grantees to collect and annually report data on the activities conducted pursuant to these programs. Evaluations such as these can be Congress’ best measure of how well a federal program or agency is operating.  At its conclusion, we hope to learn, for example, whether a substantial number of criminal justice agency personnel have received training on substance abuse disorders and co-occurring mental illness and adapted their procedures accordingly. We also hope to learn the extent to which offenders offered a treatment alternative to incarceration have benefitted from a response that integrates substance abuse services into the traditional criminal justice system. I welcome the important contribution this bill makes to the House Judiciary Committee’s oversight efforts. The timely availability of data mandated by this legislation will be a key factor in the ability to assess program performance. I agree with the bill’s sponsors that Congress must demand greater achievement and increased transparency and accountability with respect to our federal grant programs. I urge my colleagues to support H.R. 5052. For more on today’s markup, click here. ###