The $1.5 billion spending package signed by President Biden this week includes billions of dollars to address the mental health and addiction crises.
The bill will fund the federal government through September. It will include nearly $212 million for mental health resources for children and youth, an increase of $25 million, CNN reports.
The package also includes $6.5 billion for the Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration; $3.9 billion for substance use treatment; $449 million for the Office of National Drug Control Policy; and $50 million in increased funding for National Institutes of Health research related to opioid addiction, opioid alternatives, stimulant misuse and addiction, pain management and addiction treatment.
In addition, the package includes $1.6 billion for the National Institute on Drug Abuse; $2.1 billion for the National Institute of Mental Health; and $573.7 million for the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism.
The bill also contains policy provisions, including one that gives the Food and Drug Administration authority over synthetic nicotine.