21st Century Cures Act

21st Century Cures Act: Substance Misuse Prevention Provisions

Section 1003: Account for the State Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis – establishes an account for the State Response to the Opioid Abuse Crisis to carry out an opioid grant response program (opioid state targeted response grants). Opioid grants can be used for:

  • Improving state prescription drug monitoring programs
  • Implementing and evaluating prevention activities
  • Training healthcare professionals on best practices
  • Supporting access to healthcare services
  • Other public health activities as the state determines appropriate

Section 6001: Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use – creates a position know as Assistant Secretary for Mental Health and Substance Use (presidential appointment). The Secretary of HHS shall delegate to the Assistant Secretary all those duties vested in the Administrator of SAMHSA.

Section 6021Improving Oversight of Mental and Substance Use Disorders Programs through the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation -Secretary of HHS shall ensure that substance use disorder and treatment programs are evaluated efficiently and effectively.

Section 7001: Encouraging Innovation and Evidence-based Programs – Amends the Public Health Service Act to establish a National Mental Health and Substance Use Policy Laboratory, which will identify, coordinate, and facilitate the implementation of policy changes which are likely to have a significant impact om substance use disorder services. It will also review these programs to ensure that they are evidence-based, efficient, and effective, and are not duplicative. Programs that are not successful or efficient may be eliminated, reformed, or merged with other successful programs.

The Assistant Secretary may coordinate with the Laboratory to award grants to States, Tribal, or local governments to develop evidence-based interventions.

Section 7002: Promoting Access to Information on Evidence-Based Programs and Practices – Amends the Public Health Service Act to improve access to reliable, valid, evidence-based information on programs and practices related to mental and substance use disorders.

Section 8002: Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grant – Amends the Public Health Service Act (PHSA) to ensure that States involved in funding agreements under Section 1921 of the PHSA provide ongoing training on substance use disorder trends, evidence-based prevention practices and treatment services, performance-based accountability, data collection and reporting requirements and any other matters which would improve the delivery of substance use disorder services in the State.

The State must submit a plan which describes the State’s comprehensive prevention efforts.

The block grant is reauthorized at $1,858,079,000 for fiscal years 2018-2022.

Section 9007: Strengthening Community Crisis Response Systems – The Secretary shall award competitive grants to State, tribal, or local governments to enhance community-based crisis response systems. Applications for such grants will include a plan for coordination between public and private entities engaged in crisis response. $12,500,000 is appropriated to carry out these grants for each fiscal year from 2018 to 2022.

Section 9016: Sober Truth on Preventing Underage Drinking Reauthorization – reauthorizes the STOP Act.

Section 10003: Substance Use Disorder Treatment and Early Intervention Services for Children and Adolescents – The Public Health Service Act is amended to allow the Secretary to award grants, contracts, or cooperative agreements to public and private nonprofits to provide early identification and treatment services to children and adolescents who are at risk of substance use disorders.

Section 14003: Federal Drug and Mental Health Courts – authorizes the Attorney General to establish a pilot program to determine the effectiveness of diverting eligible offenders from prosecution and placing them in drug or mental health courts.