Statement on President Biden’s FY 2022 Budget Request

Partnership to End Addiction applauds the Biden-Harris Administration for proposing historic investments in efforts to address the addiction crisis in the recently released FY 2022 budget proposal. The proposed funding supports a comprehensive public health-based approach with more than half of the proposed budget directed toward evidence-based treatment, harm reduction, prevention and recovery services.

The budget will increase funding for the State Opioid Response and the Substance Abuse Prevention and Treatment Block Grants, including a new 10% set-aside for recovery services. This important set-aside will establish a sustainable funding source critical for local organizations working to develop community-level recovery infrastructure. The budget also supports increased access to treatment services, including medications for addiction treatment; prison-based treatment and alternatives to incarceration; housing and employment assistance for individuals in treatment and recovery; workforce development; research; and surveillance and data collection. The proposal also invests in prevention through funding for mental health services; school-based prevention; programs to address the behavioral health impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic; strengthening oversight of youth tobacco use; and services to address social determinants of health that are risk factors for addiction.

Tragically, we are losing more Americans to overdose than ever before, and families struggling with addiction urgently need help. We cannot afford to continue underinvesting in addiction. We thank the Biden-Harris Administration for recognizing that a crisis of this magnitude requires both historic levels of funding and a comprehensive response. We urge Congress to follow this approach in their appropriations.